Since July of 2015, two of the most visited rooms in Florence’s Uffizi Gallery have undergone extensive updates. Two of Sandro Botticelli’s celebrated masterpieces weren’t left out of the party. How?
It’s always exciting to hear about old masterpieces being restored and cleaned —technology has advanced to the point that the process preserves as it restores the works’ former glory. Such is the case at the world’s most famous Renaissance museum, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. Rooms 9 and 15 — two of the most visited rooms in the gallery — recently underwent extensive renovations, and their esteemed occupants were cleaned and freshened up for their new space. And that includes two of Sandro Botticelli’s masterpieces.
Now on view with renewed vibrancy, “Spring” and “Birth of Venus” are more beautiful than ever before — and beautifully lit as well. All of the works in the two rooms are now predominantly lit using natural light-wells and ceiling windows, which Director Eike Schmidt suggested would allow visitors to contemplate the paintings more fully. Among the other occupants of the room are seminal works from Pollaiolo, Hugo van der Goes, and Domenico Ghirlandaio.
To learn more, visit the Uffizi Gallery.
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