Florence, Italy. Hands off the Medici Corridor!

FLORENCE, Italy - Dec. 8, 2013 - PRLog -- Hands off the Medici Corridor!

Italian major Public Service Unions fight against the plan to privatize the celebrated Vasari Corridor in Florence, in order to keep it public and free of charge.

The Vasari Corridor, Florence, Italy, is one of the world-famous Renaissance monuments. Built in 1565 by will of Grand Duke Cosimo I de' Medici to a design by the architect Giorgio Vasari, it's a covered passageway, nearly a kilometer long, connecting Signoria Palace, Uffizi Gallery and Pitti Palace across the Old Bridge, used by the Medici Family as an exclusive and safe walkway. The Vasari Corridor, State-property monument, is a section of the Uffizi Gallery Museum, displaying a celebrated collection of self-portraits.

Just a few weeks ago, Superintendent Mrs. Cristina Acidini, Director of Florence State-run Museums, announced that the Corridor, from January 1st 2014, would be outsourced to CIVITA Group (the biggest Italian Museum Services private company, headed by Mr. Gianni Letta, runs museum bookstores and ticket offices in Venice, Florence, Siena, Rome, Vatican City, Naples and Pompeii).

CIVITA's plan for the Corridor includes three admission tickets: full price 34 Euros, reduced 25 Euros, "free of charge" 16 euro (for children, seniors and art students).

Florence National museums staff, supported by the two major Italian Unions (CGIL and CISL), fight against the privatization of the monument, the outsourcing of the tours and the creation of new pricey tickets, in order to assure:

- free of charge high standard tours run by the official Museum staff;

- no overpriced extra-fees for the admission, that must be included, as it was in the past, in the Uffizi Gallery ordinary ticket (full price: Euro 6,50 + 4 for reservation);

- free of charge admission for children, seniors and students;

Florence National museums staff want to give citizens and visitors a high quality free of charge public service. The Vasari Corridor is part of the Public Cultural Heritage and, according to the Italian Constitution and the International Council of Museums, must be oriented to promoting Education, Study and Enjoyment, not private profit.

The fight includes demonstrations and events for citizens and visitors (Art History talks, educational plays for families) and a petition to the Ministry of Culture and the Mayor of Florence: https://www.change.org/it/petizioni/corridoio-vasariano-aperto-fruibile-e-con-visite-guidate-qualificate-da-parte-del-personale-statale.