German director of the Uffizi becomes Italian
Published: Friday, Nov 17th 2023, 16:00
Updated At: Friday, Nov 17th 2023, 16:03
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The German director of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Eike Schmidt, has been granted Italian citizenship.
"I feel very Italian. And on November 28, I will also officially be Italian," the director of the world-famous art museum told the newspaper "Corriere della Sera" on Friday. He will then take an oath before an official of the city of Florence and thus become a full citizen of Italy, Schmidt said.
Born in Freiburg, he has headed the renowned art collection in the capital of Tuscany with works by Leonardo da Vinci and Sandro Botticelli since 2015. Schmidt will leave the museum at the end of the year after two four-year terms in office. During his time in office, he said he changed the museum's concept to make it more appealing to visitors who are not interested in art. "I don't think it's our job to convert visitors to art history," he said.
There have long been rumors that Schmidt could pursue a political career in Italy after the end of his tenure at the Uffizi Gallery. However, the 55-year-old did not want to comment on his future in an interview with the "Corriere della Sera".
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