If you cross from Piazza Signoria on Ponte Vecchio to the south coast of Arno, and then take a short walk along Via Gvichchardini, the road will lead to the Pitti Palace, the former residence of the Dukes of Tuscany, Lorraine and even the King of Italy. But, having replaced several owners in the entire history of its existence, this palace was finally able to fulfill its mission - to become a national treasure from the symbol of aristocratic power.
BlogoItaliano already mentioned the Palazzo Pitti in article 10 of Florence's sights to buy tickets online. But his remarkable story, of course, deserves a more detailed story.
The history of the Pitti Palace: a matter of time
When, at the end of 1428, Giovanni di Bichchi de Medici felt the imminent approach of death, he called on his heir, Cosimo, who went down in the history of Florence as Cosimo Medici the Elder.
The instructions given by the dying father to his son boiled down to one thing: never ascend to the people, and if this is not avoided, try to minimize the performance.
But already in 1430, Cosimo, having decided that the former palace of the once ruined bankers Bardi occupied by his family and the office, had become too crowded, turned to the great architect Brunelleschi to create a new palazzo on Via Larga (now Via Cavour). The Medici affairs were especially successful then, the people respected and appreciated the representatives of this family, and the Florentine rich and rulers of neighboring cities monitored her exaltation with hidden anger.
Palazzo Pitti in Florence
But either out of respect for the memory of his father, or out of the understanding that it is too early to declare oneself in full growth, Cosimo eventually abandoned Brunelleschi’s luxurious and magnificent project, preferring the ascetic facades of the architect Michelozzo. True, luxury was unknown behind the facades of the new dwelling, but all outward appearances were observed.
However, the project of the famous architect was not lost, becoming the prototype for the palace of the wealthy merchant Luke Pitti. But, unlike the far-sighted Cosimo and his heir, Pierrot, Luca was too quick to take an active part in the plot in 1466.
In addition, in the second half of the XV century. trade in Europe due to the expansion of the Ottoman Empire was with varying success, many once wealthy families began to quickly go bankrupt. Pitti's house did not escape this fate. BUT pitti palace stood in ruins until 1549
The story of the Pitti Palace: from hand to hand
In 1549, Eleanor of Toledo, wife ... became interested in the palace ... Cosimo I of Medici, Duke of Tuscany, accustomed from childhood to spacious luxurious chambers. In addition, the Medici lived then in the old, but reliable from the fortification point of view, Vecchio palace. Building Pitti Palace It was bought, built on and rebuilt under the direction of the architect Ammannati.
Nearby, on a hillside, the first of its kind were defeated Boboli Gardens, in the planning of which a large number of eminent architects took part, including Vasari and Buontalenti.
True, the Medici finally moved to the Pitti palace in Florence only by the end of the 16th century, already under the Duke Ferdinand I. And the palazzo was expanding and equipping itself. Its dimensions - 205 m in length and 36 in height - and the harsh rust lining emphasized the greatness of the ducal family and symbolized the power of Tuscany.
Boboli Gardens became open to the public in 1766.
Having no previous influence, the Medici passed on titles and palaces from father to son until their family stopped in 1737.The dukes of Lorraine became their successors, they were the Austrian Habsburgs, by then already cut off a hefty piece from the Apennine Peninsula.
During the Napoleonic Wars, the palace briefly passed to the Bourbons, then again returned to the Habsburgs, which owned it until the proclamation of Florence in 1865 and the appearance of King Victor Emanuel II of Italy in the walls of the Pitti Palace. But the palace became the property of the state only in 1919: it was presented to Italy by Victor Emmanuel III.
Palazzo Pitti: collection and museums
The Medici, having moved to the Pitti Palace in Florence, also transported a rich collection of paintings, sculptures, silver and jewelry, previously stored in the Palazzo Vecchio. By 1620, the second floor of the palace turned into a magnificent baroque gallery with the halls of Venus, Mars, Apollo, Jupiter, Saturn. In these halls the ducal collection was originally placed.
The gallery contains paintings by Raphael, Titian, Botticelli ...
The collection included canvases by Raphael, inherited in the dowry of one of the future duchesses, the work of Cimabue, Fra Filippo Lippi and his son, as well as Botticelli and Perugino. Relations with the papal court and trade and military alliances with Venice provided the Dukes of Tuscany with the opportunity to get paintings by Titian, Tintoretto and Veronese.
Thanks to Maria Medici, Queen of France, who was friends with Rubens, the collection was replenished with his work. Family relations with Naples and Spain helped the Medici to acquire paintings by Murillo and Hussep de Ribera. A lot of the collection and the works of Italian mannerists: Pontormo, Andrea del Sarto, Bronzino.
It is noteworthy that all the paintings from the ducal collection still occupy on the walls of the mirror-gold Palatine Gallery the same places that were prepared by the owners when planning the decoration of the halls.
But for the first time, mere mortals could see the priceless works of the great masters of the Renaissance only in 1828. The public began to admit the audience much earlier, in 1766, in the picturesque Boboli gardens, decorated with two hundred sculptures, fountains and grottoes.
The walls of the Palatine Gallery are decorated with paintings of Renaissance masters
In the XVIII century. heavy table silver was almost out of use, and porcelain appeared on tables in rich aristocratic houses, the secret of which was discovered in 1709. An extensive collection of dishes from Sevres (a gift from Bonaparte to sister Elise, ruler of Tuscany) and Meissen, as well as valuable samples of antique ceramics exhibited at the china museum, located in the "secret pavilion" of Boboli Gardens.
There was a place for table silver, and vases, and crystal, and a huge amount of jewelry from the Medici family. Visitors to the Pitti Palace will be able to see them at the Museum of Silver, adjacent to the Palatine Gallery.
The museum of carriages presents a variety of means of transportation - from spring-free carts to cars. In the Gallery of Modern Art on the top floor of the palace - the work of artists of the XVIII-XX centuries. Also interesting are 14 halls of the Royal Apartments in the right wing of the palace, a kind of exhibition of interiors of the 16th-19th centuries.
In the annex in the XVIII century. to the Palazzo Pitti, the Small Meridian Palace is a costume museum, the exposition of which changes every two years. In total, the collection of this museum contains more than 6,000 different costumes and accessories of the 16th-20th centuries.
Medici family jewelry housed in the Museum of Silver
Palazzo Pitti Tickets
As the Italians themselves say, if you were not in Florence, you did not understand Italy. Continuing the analogy, we can say that without visiting the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens, the impression of being in the city would be incomplete.
In the halls of museums and in the gardens of Boboli there are always a lot of visitors. True, there are no such crowds as in the Uffizi Gallery or the Vatican Museums. But only with a large share of luck, you can buy tickets to the Palazzo directly at the box office of museums without queues and tedious waiting in the hot summer season. Tour groups and students with schoolchildren from all over Europe who want to join the beautiful just do not dissolve in the streets of Florence.
Moreover, many tourist programs include a choice: Pitti Palace or the Uffizi Gallery. And since the palace is more spacious, and initially there are still fewer queues for it, the choice is often made in its favor.
Despite the fact that the Palace is open from 8:15 to 18:50 on all days except Monday, January 25, January 1 and May 1, the admission of visitors ends already at 17:30, which is logical: in the Palatine Gallery alone there are more 500 paintings, which will take more than one hour to inspect. On the same ticket you can go to the Gallery of Modern Art.
Costume Museum, Pitti Palace
Exactly this: unfortunately, it will not work to buy tickets to the Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens right away: prudent Florentines always knew a lot about commerce. However, the amount that will have to be paid for visiting the entire residence is not so large as to deny yourself pleasure, having examined both galleries, museums and gardens in one day.
To simplify the visit and avoid queues, tickets to the Pitti Palace (as well as other main attractions of Italy) can be booked in advance through this service. After choosing a point of interest and paying for the order, an e-mail comes with a voucher that remains to be exchanged for a ticket on the day of visit. That, in fact, is all.
| Check ticket availability and prices ››› |
Useful links on the topic:
- Uffizi Gallery: Italy's most visited museum
- Florence: the most romantic center hotels: TOP-5 BlogoItaliano
- How to get from Rome to Florence and from Florence to Rome
- How to get from Milan to Florence and from Florence to Milan
- How to get from Venice to Florence and from Florence to Venice
Photos by: Kriisi, russellmcneil, xtatic1, Dutch Simba, jrgcastro, xiquinhosilva, TuscanyArts.
