The Vasari Corridor, the elevated enclosed passageway built in 1585 to connect Palazzo Vecchio with Palazzo Pitti in Florence, has temporarily reopened to the public.
The corridor was shut down in July after a fire department inspection determined that it was not up to code.
The fire department has now authorized limited access to the area for groups of 22 people: 19 visitors and 3 guides, two with specific fire-safety training. No more than 88 people including staff can be inside the Corridor at the same time.
Only visitors with no mobility issues can access the Corridor; before the visit, they will be given safety instructions to follow in case of fire.
Built to the design of Giorgio Vasari, the Corridor was meant to allow the Medici Grand Dukes to move safely from their private residence at Palazzo Pitti to the seat of government in Palazzo Vecchio. It was built by order of Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici, in connection with the marriage of his son Francesco with Johanna of Austria.
The Corridor currently houses some 700 works of art, of which 500 are self-portraits, by masters including Raphael, Rembrandt, Titian and Rubens, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Titian, Antonio Canova.
As it traverses the Ponte Vecchio, the Corridor offers panoramic views over the Arno river.
The Vasari Corridor will only be open until November 30.
