Uffizi, record takings in 2022, more admissions than the year before the pandemic: over 4 million visitors

There is an air of great celebration at the Uffizi. Today the data of tickets sold in 2022 were released: 4 million visitors, more than double last year (when they were around 1 million and seven hundred thousand), and just 300 thousand less than the all-time high, around 4.4 million, reached in 2019, the last pre-pandemic year. All-time record for takings (thanks also to around 2 million from exhibitions organized abroad): over 35 million euros, one million more than in the “golden year” 2019, when there were just over 34 Let’s hope that with the increase decided for the warm season (25 euros starting in March) these numbers will hold.

“After the suffering of the pandemic with over 40 million in lost revenues, in 2022 we almost returned to pre-pandemic levels and thanks to the diversification of income streams we reached the maximum ever achieved for the Galleries – explains the director of the Uffizi Galleries Eike Schmidt – a necessary result to be able to resume extraordinary maintenance at full speed and the protection and enhancement activity partially slowed down during the pandemic due to the scarcity of funds. We are perfectly positioned to achieve new goals, both in terms of visits and revenues, in the year that has just begun».

The numbers
There were a total of 4,066,366 admissions to the three spaces of the Galleries (Uffizi, Palazzo Pitti, Boboli Gardens): an increase of +136.2% compared to 2021 (1,721,637), and only -7.4% in comparison to the record year 2019 (when it was 4,391,861). 2,222,692 people (+129.22%) went to the Uffizi Gallery, 650,612 to Palazzo Pitti (171.87%), to the Boboli Gardens 1,193,062 (132.73%).

Cash out
2022 at the Galleries was the top year ever in terms of takings from the Galleries: a good 35,030,387 euros, +2.7% compared to the previous maximum, reached in 2019 with 34,097,744 euros. 28,638,111 euros came from ticket sales (+142.6% compared to 2021), exhibitions and loans abroad yielded almost two million, 1,921,726 euros, 1,050,000 the amount of donations. Direct income (image rights, space rental for events and filming, and so on) was 1,322,803, indirect income (royalties and fixed fees) was 2,097,747.

Restorations and fittings
There have been 164 restorations of works (86 more than 2021), including Domenico Veneziano’s Altarpiece of Santa Lucia De’ Magnoli and Andrea del Verrocchio’s Macinghi Altarpiece (both curated by the Opificio delle Pietre Dure). 126 restoration and architectural design interventions; one million euros donated through Amici degli Uffizi and Friends of the Uffizi Galleries by the American philanthropist Veronica Atkins, to carry out the restoration of the Sala di Bona in Palazzo Pitti and the Medici cycle of the Valois Tapestries; the complete restoration of the Reali Poste degli Uffizi and of the Magliabechiana Library (with new LED lighting); in the Boboli Gardens the restoration of the Kaffeehaus (consisting of the garden, terraces and panoramic viewpoints as well as the cafeteria), the Camellia Garden, the conclusion of the restoration of Viale dei Montaccini with the adjoining fountain (restored with eco-sustainable solutions), which allow today the reopening to the public; the conclusion of the first part of the works of the Giardino dei Principi; the new signs (40 poles, 173 arrows, 118 signs with maps and info).