Florence reopens Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens after covid-19 shutdown.

Florence reopened its Uffizi Gallery today, 21 January, after 77 days - the longest closure since world war two.

The reopening of the famed museum, closed due to Italy's covid-19 regulations, has been hailed by Florence mayor Dario Nardella as a "symbol of renaissance and hope for a challenge we all shall win together."

After a 77 days shutdown, the longest after World War II, the #Uffizi are reopening today. A symbol of renaissance and hope for a challenge we all shall win together. pic.twitter.com/15SqKJfdHn

— Dario Nardella (@DarioNardella) January 21, 2021

Florence has also reopened Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens, as well as the city's municipal museums, while the Accademia - home to Michelangelo's David - is expected to reopen in mid-February.

In addition to its peerless collection of Renaissance paintings, visitors to the Uffizi can see Joseph Wright of Derby's masterpiece An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump, on loan from London's National Gallery.

Welcoming back visitors, Uffizi director Eike Schmidt said that anti-covid measures will remain strict, with social distancing and face masks mandatory in the museum.

Photo: vvoe / Shutterstock.com.