In Florence, art will ease the pain of sick children. Agreement signed between Uffizi and Meyer Hospital

Florence ’sMeyer Hospital and the Uffizi sign anagreement for children. In fact, the hospital’s director general, Alberto Zanobini, and the director of the Uffizi, Eike Schmidt, have signed an agreement that will allow young patients of the Florentine children’s hospital to take part in museum itineraries created especially for them.

It all starts with the story of Martina, a little girl who had been treated at Meyer since she was born: the little girl, because of her illness, needed to undergo periodic injections that made her very frightened. Hence, a really interesting and original idea: to combine each of those “trips” to Meyer, which were unpleasant for Martina, with an appointment to discover the beauty of the city. The intuition was carried out by the hospital teacher Susy and the team of the Meyer school with the Accessibility area of the Uffizi, and in a few months Martina became “the Pitti Princess,” who in the Palace of the same name found an enchanted place able to make her forget the hassle of the hospital appointment.

Martina’s experience, so important in alleviating the tedium caused by her illness, is now being replicated on a larger scale, and will involve many more children. In fact, as part of the agreement, the Special Guest - Kids project was conceived, designed for children who have to go to Meyer on an ongoing basis in order to undergo prolonged medical care and treatment: thanks to this project, young patients will be able to “combine” therapeutic sessions in the hospital with excursions to Florence’s museum attractions. In the space of just a few days, the Uffizi thus stands out for a new measure in favor of children: after the first arrangement designed for the youngest and involving a masterpiece by Beato Angelico, now the agreement for Meyer patients.

As part of the agreement, Meyer and the Department for Education - Cultural Mediation and Accessibility Area of the Uffizi, will define a personalized project for each of the children, in order to set up educational activities and dedicated museum itineraries, which can take place not only in the Uffizi Gallery, but also in the museums of the complex, starting with Palazzo Pitti, and in the other museums of the city. A fundamental collaboration will thus be activated with the Meyer Hospital School, which will be able to integrate these “out-of-hospital” educational activities with the curriculum of the children followed at Meyer.

“As Meyer,” says Alberto Zanobini, “we strongly believe in a concept of ’global care,’ capable of combining clinical care with all those activities, both recreational and educational, that can serve to improve the well-being of children in the hospital. We are very pleased to initiate this collaboration with a reality such as the Uffizi Galleries, which will allow the beauty of the Florentine territory to become therapeutic.”

“Art has always had great ’healing’ power,” emphasizes Eike D. Schmid, “and the unique ability to heal and give well-being to the spirit of everyone, starting precisely with children. That is why it is a great pleasure and honor to be able to put the treasures of the museum I direct at the disposal of a major institution like Meyer to offer its little guests all the relief and wonder they deserve.”

Pictured is the grandstand at the Uffizi.

In Florence, art will ease the pain of sick children. Agreement signed between Uffizi and Meyer Hospital

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