Florence, the Uffizi Magliabechiana Library reopens after 20 months of restoration
The reopening on Tuesday 27 December. Schmidt: The restoration reminds us of the importance of research
There The Uffizi Magliabechiana Library reopens to the public tomorrow, Tuesday 27 December, after a 20-month restoration, enriched by a new eco-sustainable lighting. The Library is called Magliabechiana from the name of the scholar who was first responsible for it, Antonio Magliabechi (1633-1714). The cost of the operation was approximately 250 thousand euros. Since 5 February 2021, its rooms have undergone a structural consolidation operation to remedy the failures of the time, also necessary to introduce more modern and efficient technologies, at the service of both the book collection and users. The lighting system has been totally renewed, in the name of energy saving and visual comfort: the old lamps have been replaced with modern low-consumption LEDs, strategically positioned on boxes, shelves and tables. The final effect also underlines the historicity and architectural elegance of the space. The Magliabechiana Library will be freely accessible to scholars Tuesday from 9 to 17, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 to 13. The director of the Uffizi Galleries, Eike Schmidt, declared on the eve of the reopening: «The restoration of the Magliabechiana has a Library of double value, first of all practical (it was essential to provide for the consolidation of the roof support planks), but, above all, it recalls the importance of research as a fundamental tool for the protection of works of art and as an essential element of the museum’s mission».
Antonio Magliabecchi (Florence 1633-1714) he was librarian of the Medici grand dukes of Tuscany. On his death he left a legacy of around 30,000 volumes: thanks to this donation Florence had its first public library, the original nucleus of the current National Central Library. On 16 December 1998 in the Magliabechiano hall, the original site of the collection of the National Library itself, the Uffizi Library was established, specializing in topics such as art history, museography and local history.
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December 26, 2022 ( edit December 26, 2022 | 11:34 am)
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