Visitors to Palazzo Pitti now enter the museum complex through a new main entrance, following a reorganisation of access designed to improve visitor flow, enhance safety and restore the architectural integrity of the historic Ammannati Courtyard.
From today, security screening and metal detector checks have been moved from the central doorway to the southern entrance on the right-hand side of the palace’s main façade facing Piazza Pitti, next to the ticket office. The central doorway is now reserved exclusively for visitors leaving the palace.
The change is part of a broader programme by the Uffizi Galleries to modernise and enhance Palazzo Pitti, the former residence of the Medici and later the House of Lorraine and the Savoy dynasty. Today the palace houses several museums, including the Palatine Gallery, the Museum of Fashion and Costume and the Treasury of the Grand Dukes. Together with the Uffizi Gallery and the Boboli Gardens, it forms one of Florence’s most visited museum complexes and is part of the city’s UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Restoring the historic courtyard
One of the most visible results of the project is the removal of metal detectors, barriers, cables and security equipment from the Ammannati Courtyard, designed in the 16th century by architect Bartolomeo Ammannati. The courtyard can now once again be appreciated without modern installations interrupting its historic appearance.
The new reception and security area has been created inside the palace vestibule using reversible installations designed to minimise their visual impact and preserve the building’s historic fabric.
Improved visitor management and working conditions
Separating entrances and exits is expected to make access to the museum more efficient while improving safety, particularly in the event of an emergency evacuation.
The redesign also addresses long-standing concerns about working conditions for security personnel. Staff carrying out visitor screening will now work in enclosed, climate-controlled spaces instead of temporary stations in the open courtyard, providing protection from both summer heat and winter weather.
Uffizi Galleries director Simone Verde said the project had been under discussion since the 1980s but had never been implemented. He said the new arrangement improves visitor safety, removes intrusive security infrastructure from one of Palazzo Pitti’s most important architectural spaces and, above all, provides more suitable working conditions for security staff.
The intervention marks another step in the ongoing redevelopment of Palazzo Pitti, combining heritage conservation with operational improvements while enhancing the experience for the millions of people who visit the museum complex each year.
(Photos by Uffizi Gallery)
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