Vandalism Strikes the Vasari Corridor

In the early hours of August 23, The Vasari Corridor was defaced by vandalism that sent shockwaves among local officials. Facing the river, seven pillars out of 13, spell out “DKS1860.”

The Vasari Corridor, conceived during the Renaissance, is the secret passageway connecting the Palazzo Vecchio with the Palazzo Pitti. This allowed the Medici rulers to move freely between the two landmarks while remaining hidden from the public eye. 

The corridor, once filled with a grand collection of self portraits by famous artists down the centuries, has been closed for restoration since 2019. There are plans for it to reopen again to the public at the end of the year. 

The phrase, “Dks 1860,” still undergoing investigation, is not a random scrawl. The hashtag can be traced to the supporters of the Munich 1860 soccer club. There are no known suspects as of yet.  The graffiti will cost 10,000 euro to clean up.

Culture Minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said “The authors must pay. While municipal police are looking over any cameras and tools available, the incident has certainly sparked a renewed determination to protect and preserve these heritage sites even further from such acts of vandalism. If caught, the perpetrators can receive a fine that the fine ranges from 5,000 to 15,000 euro and even risk up to five years in jail. (milla elizabeth)