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Florence's Uffizi art gallery will host an outdoor cinema this summer - and it's free

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Florence's Uffizi art gallery will host an outdoor cinema this summer - and it's free
The Uffizi art gallery in Florence. Photo: timbrkDepositphotos

Florence's Uffizi art gallery will this year play host to an outdoor cinema, for the first time in its history.

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There will be seats for up to 285 people to watch the films screened as part of a summer festival in the Renaissance city.

And best of all, the whole thing is free of charge.

Florence mayor Dario Nardella announced the project together with Eike Schmidt, the gallery's director, on Monday.

"It's the first time that the Piazzale degli Uffizi will host such an event, in a unique combination of art, architecture and film," commented Nardella.

He also said the screenings at Italy's most popular art gallery would allow the city to "reappropriate" public spaces in Florence and "not leave them only for tourists". 

"The piazza is one of the cultural and archeological centres of the city but in recent years has lost its identity," explained Nardella.

Florence is one of several Italian cities to crack down on overcrowding from mass tourism which is seen as harmful to cultural heritage. In May, Nardella launched an initiative to banish picnicking tourists from the steps of iconic churches and cathedrals - by hosing them down with water over lunchtime.

The Apriti Cinema festival is in its sixth year, and over 20 new and classic films will be shown at the evening screenings, which begin on June 26th.

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