Introducing the “Vasari Corridor.”
Article by Alie Feid
The Corridorio Vasariana (Vasari Corridor) was constructed in 1564 by Giorgio Vasari to mark the union of Franceso I de’Medici and Giovanna of Austria. At almost a kilometer in length, the space travels beginning at the Palazzo Vecchio, through the Uffizi where it exits out the west side, heads along the Arno on elevated arches, through the Ponte Vecchio. It then continues to cross the Arno over the top of the markets lining the bridge, goes through the Church of Santa Felicita, across the tops of houses, through the Gardens of the Guicciardini Family, and comes to its end at the Boboli Gardens with an exit at Buontalenti’s Grotto. Later, a connection took the route into the Palazzo Pitti itself (“The Vasari Corridor”).
Figure 1: View of the path that connects Palazzo Vecchio with Palazzo Torrigiani.
The term corridor didn’t originally refer to the architectural space itself, but instead referenced a messenger or scout who quickly carried information or money through the space. Then, by association, the term comes to describe the type of work or activities being done along the space. Later, in the 17th century, the term as describing a person morphed into the more modernly used word courier with the influx of French influence into Italian culture. The Vasari Corridor specifically was known to have been used as a private path for the Medici family and elite correspondents to travel across outside of the eyes of the public. To the previous point, it was also used by the people who worked for them to rapidly deliver urgent messages from one party to another (Jarzombek 731).
To enhance the secrecy surrounding the official business of the Medici, the entrance of the corridor at the Palazzo Vecchio has several fake doors to give pause or to stop unwelcome visitors. This design is similar to the corridors in Parma (1550s), Vegevano (1490s), and Urbino (1490s) (Jarzombek 733). Other specific features of locations along the route include the panoramic windows facing the Arno at the Ponte Vecchio, all facing the Ponte Santa Trinita and the series of over 1000 portraits along the Uffizi, several of which are self-portraits of artists like Delacroix, Ensor, Rembrandt Velasquez, and Filippo Lippi (“The Vasari Corridor & its Self-Portrait Collection”).
Over the years, the corridor and surrounding areas have undergone damage from several sources. At the end of World War II during the German retreat, the city was partially destroyed by mines, only to be rebuilt in the 1950s. Then in 1966 the Arno flooded, compromising the structural integrity of the buildings along the shore (Sciurpi). Finally, in 1993, a bomb was set off by the Italian Mafia, damaging the entrance of the Uffizi.
REFERENCES:
Jarzombek, Mark. “Corridor Spaces.” Critical Inquiry 36, no. 4 (2010): 728–70. https://doi.org/10.1086/655210.
Sciurpi, Fabio, Cristina Carletti, Gianfranco Cellai, and Cristina Piselli. 2022. "Assessment of the Suitability of Non-Air-Conditioned Historical Buildings for Artwork Conservation: Comparing the Microclimate Monitoring in Vasari Corridor and La Specola Museum in Florence" Applied Sciences 12, no. 22: 11632. https://doi.org/10.3390/app122211632
“The Vasari Corridor.” Palazzo Pitti. Accessed February 7, 2023. https://www.palazzo- pitti.net/vasari-corridor.html.
“The Vasari Corridor & its Self-Portrait Collection.” Visit Uffizi: Uffizi Gallery Museum in Florence Guide. 2022. https://www.visituffizi.org/the-vasari-corridor/.
Alie Feid is a second-semester Sophomore Studio Art and Art History double-major, with a minor in Arts Leadership & Administration. Originally from Asheville, she hopes to pursue studio art practice or a career in art restoration post-graduation.