Florence, van hits Vasari Corridor column and damages it. Damage in the thousands of euros

On the morning of December 27, around 7 a.m., a van damaged a column of the Vasari Corridor, near the Ponte Vecchio, at the intersection of Via Por Santa Maria and Lungarno degli Acciaiuoli. According to the reconstruction of the fire department, the vehicle, after unloading goods right on Via Por Santa Maria, allegedly turned around to go toward Piazza del Pesce, hitting the Vasariano column and then driving away toward Piazza Signoria.

Thanks to the cameras, the identity of the driver, who allegedly did not even stop to verify the accident and who, according to the latest developments, was tracked down in Prato, was recognized. For him, a 378-euro fine, a 12-point deduction on his license, and also a probable complaint for damage to architectural property (perhaps the man could also be forced to pay compensation). Also thanks to the cameras, the company the vehicle belonged to, a transport company in Caserta, was also identified.

The damage amounts to tens of thousands of euros, according to estimates by Uffizi technicians (director Eike Schmidt also attended the scene). In the impact between the vehicle and the column there was a breakage of the pietra serena at the base of the column, although fortunately it does not seem to have affected the structure: however, an initial securing was necessary, and then the damage will be restored (it will take just under a month). Meanwhile, in Florence, there has been renewed discussion about vehicle access in the Ponte Vecchio area, which is full of narrow streets and pedestrian traffic, as well as an area of very high architectural value. However, the Councilor for Mobility, Stefano Giorgetti, has already made it known that any pedestrianization of the area would not have prevented the incident, since goods vehicles are regularly allowed to pass through the pedestrian areas of the city center.

A similar incident had also occurred in Tuscany in June, when a maneuvering truck knocked down a portion of the Renaissance portico of the parish church of Saints Michael and Francis in Carmignano, near Prato. Damage that will take two years to repair.

Florence, van hits Vasari Corridor column and damages it. Damage in the thousands of euros

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