Italy has declared its highest level 'red zone' restrictions in half of the country, resulting in the widespread closure of schools and museums, amid a new wave of covid-19 infections. To counteract this unhappy situation, the Uffizi Gallery in Florence has stepped in to offer what are possibly the world's greatest virtual art history lessons.

The distance learning project, titled Forza scuole - Arrivano gli Uffizi, offers school children 45-minute lessons which come in three different formats, reports online art magazine Finestre sull'Arte. The prince's casket (for primary school classes) is built around the places and characters of the Medici family, illustrated by some of the museum's masterpieces.