Florence’s Vasari Corridor to reopen in December after eight-year closure
The Vasari Corridor – one of Florence’s most fascinating attractions – will reopen on Saturday, December 21st, following an eight-year-long closure, the Uffizi Galleries said in an online statement on Thursday.
The 750-metre-long elevated walkway connecting the Uffizi Galleries with Palazzo Pitti in Florence was closed in 2016 to allow for renovation work aimed at complying with safety regulations.
An €11-million renovation project intended to make the structure safer and restore it to its original beauty started in 2022.
Works were completed earlier this week.
The walkway, which was designed by Italian Renaissance master Giorgio Vasari, was built in 1565 to allow local rulers to move safely and unseen between the city’s seat of power, Palazzo Vecchio, and their private residence, Palazzo Pitti, on the other side of river Arno.
The structure is one of Florence’s best-known landmarks and offers unique views of the city and some of its most iconic monuments, including the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio and the Boboli Gardens.
The Uffizi Galleries said that visitors will be able to access the Vasari Corridor by buying a special €43 ticket which also allows entry into the Uffizi’s other areas.
It added that bookings will open on Tuesday, December 10th.
Amazon successfully tests first drone delivery in Italy
US e-commerce giant Amazon said on Thursday it had successfully completed its first drone delivery in Italy as part of plans to launch services of the kind in the country in 2025, according to Ansa.
Amazon said it used an MK-30 drone – a highly automated device using computer vision to avoid obstacles – to deliver an Echo Spot smart alarm to a destination in San Salvo, in Italy’s central Abruzzo region.
"The company continues to work with Italian authorities to meet all the requirements needed to launch the service next year," Amazon said.
The company said last year it hoped to launch drone deliveries in Italy in late 2024.
First launched in December 2022, drone package deliveries are currently available in a number of locations in Texas and Arizona, and are scheduled to be gradually expanded to other US states.
Rome’s Metro A line resumes normal timetable following maintenance work
Rome’s Metro A line is set to resume its normal operating hours from Friday after offering limited evening services for nearly eight months to allow for track maintenance works ahead of the 2025 Jubilee Year.
The line has been closing at 9pm from Sunday to Thursday since April 8th, with evening bus replacement services running along its route.
As of Friday, the entire line will run from 5.30am to 1.30am on Fridays and Saturdays, and from 5.30am to 11.30pm from Sunday to Thursday, according to transport operator Atac.
Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri said upgrade works on the line’s tracks were "necessary to address the significant increase in demand for public transport" expected in 2025.
Maintenance work on Rome’s Metro A line was just one of a series of projects intended to upgrade the capital’s public transport network in preparation for next year’s Jubilee celebrations.
Three of Rome’s six tram lines resumed service on Monday after stopping completely to allow for maintenance work. The remaining lines (5, 14 and 19) were scheduled to resume on January 20th.
According to the latest estimates, some 35 million people are expected to visit Rome in 2025.
Conditions ‘not in place’ to sign EU-Mercosur trade deal: Italy
"The conditions are not in place" to sign the EU trade agreement with South America's Mercosur bloc, Italian government sources said on Thursday, denting proponents' hopes that a deal could be imminent.
Italy joined France in opposing the trade pact just as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen landed in Montevideo to meet with leaders from Mercosur, which groups Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
"The Italian government considers that the conditions are not met to sign up to the current text," the sources said, calling for greater protection for the farming sector.
France is leading European opposition to the trade agreement, which has been under negotiation for 25 years.
According to Italian government sources, Rome could still approve an accord if it receives "a firm commitment from the Commission to constantly monitor the risk of disruptions in the markets and, in such a case, to activate a rapid and effective compensation system".
Under European treaties, the Commission negotiates trade agreements on behalf of the bloc's 27 members.
The ratification of any text signed with the Mercosur countries would require approval of at least 15 member states representing 65 percent of the EU population, followed by a majority in the European Parliament.
The EU-Mercosur deal would create a free-trade area of 700 million people, giving Europeans duty-free access to South American agricultural and mining exports, and boosting Europe's auto, appliance and pharmaceutical sales in South America.
But European farmers have long protested against less strict regulations in the agricultural sector in South America, also pointing to the industry's role in destroying huge swathes of the Amazon rainforest.
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