Hall of Music (Sala della Musica)

Returning to the Sala del Castagnoli, we then entered the Hall of Music (Sala della Musica) which was built, at the beginning of the nineteenth century, by combining two rooms that connected the respective apartments of the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess.  With its Neo-Classical decoration, the room was intended for musical entertainment, hence its also being known as the Drums due to the curious cylindrical shape of the furniture such as stools and commodes.  

In 1813, during the Napoleonic period, it was decided to create a “first drawing room of the Emperor” here, decorated with murals depicting the Genius of France and the Napoleonic Battles.  In 1814, with the restoration of the Lorraines, Luigi Ademollo (1764-1849) was commissioned to completely renovated the half-decorated room by creating a new theme for the fresco (Glory of the Habsburg House) on the ceiling.

In 1860 the fresco was retouched by the Savoy family  by adding the Italian flag and giving it a blue mantle and the Savoy crown, thereby transforming the personification of Austria into that of Italy.The monochrome frieze, which shows the Liberation of Vienna from the Turkish Siege in 1683, effectively simulates bas-reliefs.

A table, made in 1819 by Pierre-Philippe Thomire (Napoleon’s court goldsmith), consists of a large block of glowing green malachite dignified the malachite with lion paws and sphinxes and mounted onto a lavish base of gold-plated metal.

Table (Pierre-Philippe Thomire, 1819)

Works in the Music Room also include:

• Four busts of Roman emperors (Francesco Carradori)
• Furniture series comprising twelve sideboards and sixteen stools (tambourines) (Florentine manufacture of the century XIX, 1820)
• Four candelabra (French manufacture of the century. XIX, ca. 1805)
• Clock (French manufacture of the century. XIX, ca. 1856)
• Two watches (French manufacture of the century. XIX) 

Monochrome frieze showing Liberation of Vienna from the Turkish Siege in 1683

Hall of Music: Pitti Palace, Piazza de’ Pitti, 1, Florence, Italy. Tel:+39 055 294883. Open Tuesdays-Sundays, 8:15 AM – 6:50 PM. Admission: Palatine Gallery (€8.50), Silver Museum (€6.00), Gallery of Modern Art (€8.50), Costume Gallery/Porcelain Museum/Boboli Gardens/Bardini Garden (€6.00). 

How to Get There: Take the C3 or D bus to the Pitti stop.