Priceless Caravaggio removed after rainwater leaks through glass case at Uffizi Gallery

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The Uffizi Galleries in Florence are home to countless Renaissance masterpieces, including Botticelli’s Birth of Venus and Caravaggio’s Medusa.

But the gallery has been accused of appropriately protecting its collection from extreme weather, after visitors saw the protective casing around Caravaggio’s Bacchus hit with rainwater.

On Thursday, storms swept across Tuscany, leading to flooded homes and blackouts as nearly two inches of rain fell in the city in one hour.

Videos show water trickling down the glass covering the painting, which shows a reclining Roman god of wine and fertility draped in a garland and holding a red goblet.

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The painting, which was donated to Ferdinando I de ’Medici in 1608 and was rediscovered in the storerooms of the museums almost three centuries later, has been immediately removed and inspected for damage.

The museum announced that the artwork was not damaged by the “small leakage” from the fanlight above. The painting has since returned to display.

Other parts of the building’s complex were also affected by last week’s storm.

Water fell from a first-floor window, flooding an attic changing room, according to Giuseppe Nolè, a co-ordinator of the CISL trade union representing culture ministry employees.

At Palazzo Pitti, a lift shaft was flooded, and some areas ended up under 30cm of water.

In August, the gallery announced a €50 million renovation of the Uffizi Galleries to protect its collection from extreme weather.

Simone Verde, the museum’s director, told The Times: “Faced with extremely rapid and severe [climate change], we have to implement measures that are no longer extraordinary but prepare us for a new normal.”

The galleries have been accused of prioritising cultural reputation over preservation and maintenance.

The 466-year-old gallery, a cornerstone of Florentine and Renaissance history, was commissioned by Cosimo I de’ Medici in 1560.

The Uffizi Galleries were originally built as a vast administrative office complex for the Medici family – a powerful Italian banking and political dynasty behind the Italian Renaissance.

Under Medici rule, Florence climbed the intellectual and artistic ranks – shaping the legacy of Italian cultural history as we know it today.

The Uffizi Galleries are located in Florence’s cultural epicentre and directly connect to the Palazzo Vecchio and the Palazzo Pitti via the famous Vasari Corridor.