Florence local English news

Florence's Uffizi Gallery evacuated due to smoke from roof

26 May, 2021

Florence museum expected to reopen as soon as possible after evacuation.

An evacuation was underway at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence on the morning of 26 May due to the dense smoke from a chimney on the museum's roof, reports agency ANSA.

The evacuation, which began after 10.30, was a "precautionary measure" according to the Uffizi, which said "it doesn't seem to be anything serious and the firefighters are already on the scene."

Dense smoke from the Uffizi roof. Photo La Nazione.

The smoke is believed to be due to a malfunction of a boiler used for heating and air conditioning, reports news agency Adnkronos however it did not result in a fire.

Within a few minutes the museum had evacuated around 400 people, including staff and visitors, according to Italian media.

The situation is described as "under control" and technical maintenance staff are on the scene.

Cover image: Controradio