Uffizi, Magliabechiana Library reopens after 20 months of restoration

After a restoration operation that lasted 20 months and cost 250,000 euros, the Biblioteca Magliabechiana, named after the scholar who was its first head, Antonio Magliabechi (Florence, 1633 - 1714), reopens to the public at the Uffizi from December 27, showing itself with new eco-friendly lighting.

Since February 5 last year, the Library’s rooms have been undergoing structural consolidation to remedy the failures of time, necessary also to introduce more modern and efficient technologies, serving both the book collection and users. The intervention was led by Antonio Russo, project manager and technical coordination; Valerio Tesi, designer and construction manager; Marco Pio Lauriola, structural project manager; and Pier Francesco Bruschi, safety manager.

Totally renewed is the lighting system, under the banner of energy saving and visual comfort: the old lamps have been replaced with modern, low-consumption LEDs, strategically placed on boxes, shelves and tables. The final effect also emphasizes the historicity and architectural elegance of the space. The Magliabechiana Library will be freely accessible to scholars on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“The restoration of the Magliabechiana Library,” comments Uffizi Director Eike D. Schmidt, “has a double value, first of all practical (it was essential to provide for the consolidation of the roof support boards), but, above all, it reminds us of the importance of research as a fundamental tool for the protection of works of art and as an indispensable element of the museum’s mission.”

The Library was founded on the initiative of Antonio Magliabechi, librarian to the Medici grand dukes of Tuscany. When he died in 1714 he left a legacy of about 30,000 volumes: thanks to this donation Florence had its first public library, the original nucleus of today’s National Central Library. On December 16, 1998, the Uffizi Library, specializing in subjects such as art history, museography and local history, was established in the Magliabechian Hall, the original home of the collection of the National Library itself.

Uffizi, Magliabechiana Library reopens after 20 months of restoration

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