PALAZZO PITTI – THE PITTI PALACE

PALAZZO PITTI – THE PITTI PALACE

The Palazzo Pitti in English called the Pitti Palace is a vast, mainly Renaissance palace in Florence.   It is situated on the south side of the River Arno, a short distance from the Ponte Vecchio. The core of the present palazzo dates from 1458 and was originally the town residence of Luca Pitti, an ambitious Florentine banker.

The Pitti Palace was the main seat of the Medici Family, which bought this place in 1549 and in that moment it became the chief residence of the ruling families if the Grand Dukes in Tuscany. It grew as a great treasure house as later generations amassed paintings, plates, jewellery and luxurious possessions.

In the late 18th century, the palazzo was used as a power base by Napoleon, and later served for a brief period as the principal royal palace of the newly united Italy.

The palazzo is now the largest museum complex in Florence – something about 32,000 square metres. It is divided into several principal galleries or museums detailed below. The palace is an important part of the Boboli Gardens. In summer a lot of students go in front of The Palazzo Pitti to take a coffee or just read a book or sunbathing.

GARDINI BOBOLI – THE BOBOLI GARDENS

GARDINI BOBOLI – THE BOBOLI GARDENS


Gardini Boboli in English the Boboli Gardens is a park near the storical center in Florence. It is a home for collection of many sculptures from the 16^th through the 18^th centuries but also for some Roman antiquities.

This magnificent place is situated behind of the Pitti Palace which was the main seat of the Medici (the grand dukes family of Tuscany at Florence). The garden is designed in mid-16^th-century style. The openness of the garden, with an expansive view of the city, was unconventional for its time. The gardens were very lavish. No access into this gardens was allowed only to the Medici family and no entertainment or parties ever took place there.

The Boboli Gardens were laid out for Eleonora di Toledo, the wife of Cosimo I de' Medici. At the beginning the works were stared by Niccolò Tribolo til 1550, then were continued by Bartolomeo Ammanati. The elaborate architecture of the grotto in the courtyard that separates the palace from its garden is by Buontalenti.

The interesting thing about the Boboli Gardens is that lacks a natural water source. To water the plants in the garden, a conduit was built from the nearby Arno River to feed water into an elaborate irrigation system which was very innovative for that time.

Inside the Boboli Gardens there is the amphitheatre with very important Egyptian obelisk brought from the Villa Medici at Rome. Another important point of the beautiful place is in a fountain of Neptune (known to the irreverent Florentines as the "Fountain of the Fork" for Neptune's trident), with the sculpture of Neptune by Stoldo Lorenzi visible against the skyline as a visitor climbs the slope. The gardens have passed through several stages of enlargement and restructuring work.

Today you have to pay for the entrance but this place is worth every penny. The Boboli Grades are especially beautiful in spring and summer but also in winter there is a lot of magical atmosphere.  As you can see under this place is a big inspiration for artist.

MICHELANGELO SQUARE

PIAZZALE MICHELANGELO

I would like to write about an amazing place in Florence which is a famous square with a magnificent panoramic called Piazzale Michelangelo – Michelangelo Square. It is an observation point which is overlooking the whole city. This panorama is present in every postcard of  Florence!

This square was built and projected by Giuseppe Poggi in 1869. Is placed on a hill on the left side of Arno river. The important thing of that period is that on that time the Florence was the capital of Italy and everybody was involved in RISANAMENTO called in English REBIRTH.

The square is dedicated to the great sculptor of Renaissance – Michelangelo. In the middle of this square you will find the second copy of his the most famous sculpture – David. The Michelangelo square is designed by Poggi in the neoclassical style which is dominating the whole terrace. At the beginning it should be a place for the museum of works by Michelangelo but it wasn’t never realized.

You will find there very beautiful and good restaurant with a splendid panorama. The panorama embraces the heart of Florence from Forte Belvedere to Santa Croce, across the lungarni and the bridges crossing the Arno, including the Ponte Vecchio, the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio, the Bargello and the octagonal bell tower of the Badia Fiorentina. Beyond the view of the city itself are the hills of Settignano and Fiesole.


You can access the Piazzale Michelangelo by car along the tree-lined Viale Michelangelo but also by walking the stairs or going up the ramps from the Piazza Giuseppe Poggi, known as the "Poggi Ramps".