Florence, May 27, 2012 - The Uffizi Gallery is preparing for a new extension. Within a month they are ready, and accessible to the public, ten new rooms on the main floor of the gallery, the second batch of the "New Square" after that, in December last year, were inaugurated the eight rooms dedicated to the blue paint of the sixteenth century foreign , seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. In anticipation of their opening, began the removal of some of the sculptures that will be housed.
Three famous sculptures placed in the so-called Room Hermaphrodite, in the vestibule out of the Western Corridor, for about a month I will be no more 'visible, it' may be part of the trail for the blind and visually impaired called ' 'Uffizi to touch.''
This is the Spinario (Roman art), dell'Afrodite (Hellenistic art) also known as Venus to the bathroom'' and'' Torso depicting a centaur with his hands tied behind his back (workshop Roman, second century BC.) Known as '' Torso'' Gaddi, the removal of these works, and 'adding also that of the Farnese Hercules (Roman art, the second century AD.), which until a few days ago was the head of the Western Corridor of the Gallery III.
The four sculptures were moved to the floor of the museum where, in less than a month, will be 'opened another portion of the New Uffizi - ten rooms in all - dedicated to the painters of the sixteenth century, particularly Tuscany, Andrea del Sarto to Bronzino , to Raphael.
Once open to the public, these new spaces will be preceded by a gallery devoted to sculptures of Hellenistic culture, including, among other works, the four just removed and many from the Museum of Archaeology: Citaredo Apollo, Dionysus with a panther, a Niobe and a head of Ariadne.
These four sculptures, along with three works from the Vestibule output will become part of the new - and therefore more 'rich - path of the Uffizi by'' touching'' dedicated to visually impaired visitors.
It is therefore a'' temporary sacrifice - as he called the director of the Uffizi, Antonio Natali - but also a clear sign of the work in full swing. In fact, from now on we will work 'on the works exhibited in the circuit current, sometimes transferring them from a compartment to another of the same plan, sometimes carrying them from the second floor to the new one,'' below.
'' We'll see - said the director of the Uffizi - as these removals can be accomplished without too much inconvenience to visitors. At the moment I merely point it out to you, wherever in the world, when a large museum and loads of evidence supports this type, closes. If not completely, at least some areas. I do not know if we can keep the gallery open to the public - has concluded Natali - but in agreement with colleagues in the Superintendence for the architectural, we will try.''
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