The Boboli Gardens are one of Italy's best illustrations of wealth and power. The Pitta family built the gardens and palace to show Florence and the world their power and to rival the famed Medici family. It didn't stay in the Pitta family too long. The wife of Cosimo I, Eleonora di Toledo bought it and it quickly became another home of the Medici family.
The Pitti Palace was connected to Palazzo Vechio and the Uffizi by the the corridor built by Vasari. This is how jewelers came to occupy Ponte Vecchio. It used to be filled with butchers, but the Medici thought the smell repugnant and undignified. They had them removed and replaced with the more refined, and less stinky, jewlers you see there today.
The collection of artwork at Pitti is incredible and often overlooked by travelers. Many great Italian artists have works here like: Bandinelli, Lippi, Signorelli, Pontormo, Botticelli, Raphael, and Titian. It is located just over the arno and can be enjoyed on the day you walk across Ponte Vecchio. There is a lot to enjoy at Pitti so start your day early to enjoy the garden and the palace. The second part of your day be sure to visit the magnificent Santa Maria del Carmine. More on SM Carmine in another post.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment