Palazzo Grimani di Santa Maria Formosa (Venice, Italy)

Courtyard o the palazzo

Courtyard o the palazzo

The  Palazzo Grimani di Santa Maria Formosa, originally the ancient casa da stazio, an L-shaped building located at the intersection of the rios of San

Bronze bust of Antonio Grimani (Andrea Briosco)

Bronze bust of Antonio Grimani (Andrea Briosco)

Severo and Santa Maria Formosa, was the residence of the Venetian doge Antonio Grimani. It was substantially altered in 1532-1569 by his grandsons Vittore, procuratore generale of the city, and Giovanni Grimani, cardinal and Patriarch of Aquileia, giving it a classical stamp.

Giovanni allegedly collaborated with celebrated architects such as Jacopo Sansovino, Sebastiano Serlio and  Andrea Palladio.

DSC04688

Two new wings, doDSC00364ubling the size of the building, were added.  A vast Roman-style inner courtyard, with loggias of marble colonnades (unusual in sixteenth-century Venice) and asymmetrical porticoes, was laden with artfully arranged sculptures, reliefs and inscriptions.The palace was completed in 1575 by Giovanni Rusconi while Alessandro Vittoria was responsible for the ornamentation of the doorway.

DSC04668

The palace is composed of three parts with a small backyard. The façade, sporting

Bronze bust of Hadrian (Ludovico Lombardo)

Bronze bust of Hadrian (Ludovico Lombardo)

characteristically massive windows arches, is decorated with polychrome marble.

The most striking feature of the interior is the Sala di Psiche (c. 1540), with frescoes by Mannerist artists such as Francesco MenzocchiCamillo Mantovano and Francesco Salviati.

Other artists who worked to the palace’s decoration include Taddeo Zuccari and Giovanni da Udine.

DSC04701

Bust of Antinoüs, favorite of Hadrian

Bust of Antinoüs, favorite of Hadrian

The palazzo once held the archaeological collections (one of the finest of the time), strikingly displayed on shelves, mantelpieces and plinths in settings of the high ceiling, specially designed Tribuna and the courtyard, amassed by Cardinal Domenico Grimani and Giovanni Grimani, and donated to the Republic.

DSC04702DSC04676

Palazzo Grimani, internationally important for its architectural originality, the quality of its decoration and the history of its development, was purchased by the State in 1981 and, in 2001, a decree of the Ministry of the Cultural Heritage gave responsibility for its management to the Superintendency of State Museums in Venice. On December 20, 2015, it was reopened as a museum.

DSC04667

An especially valuable addition to its museum circuit, the palace displays a few HiDSC04670eronymus Bosch paintings from the Grimani collection: depicting the dream-like Visione dell’Aldilàl’Ascesa all’Empireo, and la Caduta dei dannati e l’Inferno; and the Triptych of Santa Liberata, and the Triptych of the eremiti (Sant’Antonio, San Girolamo and Sant’Egidio).

Sculpture gallery

The Sculpture Gallery with “The Rape of Ganymede (Reinhard Gomer)” hanging on the ceiling

The extraordinarily high quality decoration of the rooms iDSC04680ncludes outstanding stucco work and frescoes, reflecting the confidently unconventional taste of the Grimanis.

Palazzo Grimani, unique in Venetian history and architecture, is a fascinating treasure house of cultural, artistic and historical riches.

Statue of Laocoon and his sons

Statue of Laocoon and his sons

Palazzo Grimani di Santa Maria Formosa: Ramo Grimani, 4858, 30122 Venice, Italy. Tel: +39 041 241 1507 and +39 041 5200345. E-mail: info@palazzogrimani.org and sspsae-ve.grimani@beniculturali.it. Website: www.palazzogrimani.org. Open 8:15 AM – 7:15 PM. Admission: € 4.00 + € 1,50 reservation fee.

Murano Glass Museum (Venice, Italy)

Murano Glass Museum (Museo del Vetro)

The Murano Glass Museum (ItalianMuseo del Vetro), a museum on the millennial history of glass, including local Murano glass, is housed in the Vescovi Palace, the former residence of the bishops of Torcello. Originally built in the Gothic style, this patrician’s palace became the residence of Bishop Marco Giustinian in 1659. He later bought it and donated it to the Torcello diocese.

Jandy, Cheska, Grace and Kyle at the museum garden

This Glass Museum, founded in 1861 by Abbot Zanetti, became part of the Venetian Civic Museums in 1923, following the fusion of Murano with Venice.  In 1932, its collections were put in order under the guidance of Giulio Lorenzetti and Nino Barbantini who adopted more modern criteria regarding display techniques.

Museum exhibit

The museum’s collection, further expanded by the addition of the Correr, Cicogna and Molin Collections, includes, among other things, the most beautiful Renaissance pieces in the museum. Except for occasional purchases, the museum’s contemporary collection are enriched by donations made by the island’s glassworks.  It is run by the Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia (MUVE).

A collection of glass beads

Paintings of famous glassmakers

The museum is divided into the following sections:

  • Archaeological Section  (Ground floor) – its most outstanding exhibits come from the necropolises of Enona (Zara), noteworthy Roman works dating from the 1st to the 3rd century A.D. including objects with depictions of animals and plants, glass murrini and examples of applications and decorations used in ancient times.
  • Murano Glass in the 15th Century – the evolution, from ‘crystal clear’ glass, to the pure and transparent glass that, during the next century, leads to the development of new decorative techniques.
  • Murano Glass in the 16th Century – the century in which the precious Murano glass goes beyond national borders to spread throughout Europe,  on display are lattimo glass; white opaque glass like porcelain; glass used in filigree or decorated with enamels; and ice glass with a typical cracked outer surface.
  • Murano Glass in the 17th Century – considered to be the century of the so-called glass à la façon de Venise, the most prestigious Murano glass, the 17th century is also the beginning of the decline because of the massive exodus of Murano glassmakers abroad. Towards the end of the century the market began to prefer Bohemian glass.

Murano Glass in the 13th – 17th Century

  • Murano Glass in the 18th Century – Murano Glass acquired new life thanks to Joseph Briati. Examples of his vast output on display include chiocche (crystal chandeliers decorated with multiple arms); deseri (table triumphs), famous for their ornamental richness and variety of the subjects represented; and beautiful mirrors.

Murano Glass in the 18th Century

  • Murano Glass in the 19th Century – production of Murano Glass art goes through a period of technique and aesthetics decline. From the second half of the 19th century, blown glass by Antonio Salviati and reproduction of Roman mosaic glass by Vincenzo Moretti offered new ideas to the glassmaking industry.
  • Murano Glass in the 20th Century – the traditional techniques of glass working began to be used for more modern creations at the beginning of this century– as demonstrated in the ‘Peacock  murrina‘ and Vittorio Zecchin’s Plate. After the First World War, many artists began working closely with the furnaces on the island. Umberto Bellotto, with the cooperation of the Barovier artists and fantastic glassy fabrics created by Carlo Scarpa for Venini, designed daring combinations of glass and wrought iron. After World War II, Murano develops an interest in the chromatic effects of the glass as can be seen in the works of Ercole Barovier, the noteworthy sculptures of Alfredo Barbini and the creations of watermarks by Archimede Seguso.

Murano Glass in the 20th Century

The upper floor houses a collection of glass from the 15th to the 20th century (one of the most complete in the world), including world famous realizations by the famous Barovier & Toso glass company and glass textiles designed by Carlo Scarpa in the late 1930s.

Chiocche (crystal chandeliers)

The exhibit, interspersed throughout with innumerable glass objects reflective of the era covered and the specific techniques of production for each century, took us through the history of glass making solely on Murano, starting with the 14th -17th century apogee of the art and, continuing into modern times, in more detail with the 18th and 19th century of jousting of Murano with Bohemia as the world’s leader in this art form. Then, it continues with its downturn, after Napoleon,  and revival in the late 19th century (thanks to enterprising locals of the industry).  Modern day art ended our tour.

Miniature garden made entirely of Murano glass

Also on display are a fine collection of beads and an equally splendid exhibition of classic table ware. At a small hall just by the entrance, we watched a cool video presentation on glassware making.

The Minimalist displays, in 6 big, easy to navigate and wheelchair-friendly rooms, were.impressive and occasionally stunning to the eye and our 2-hour visit here was educational and worthwhile.

Murano Glass Museum: Fondamenta Giustinian 8, 30121 MuranoVeniceItaly. Tel: +39 041 739586. Website: www.museiciviciveneziani.it. Open from April 1 to November 1, 10 AM – 6 PM (ticket office: 10 AM – 5 PM); from November 2 to March 31, 10 AM  – 5 PM (ticket office: 10 AM – 4 PM); closed on December 25 and January 1. Admission: €4.00 (reductions for pensioners and students), €6.50 for a ticket which usually combines entrance to the Glass Museum and the Lace Museum on Burano.

How to Get There: From the Piazzale Roma or Ferrovia (the bus and railroad station), boarded the Line 3 “Diretto Murano” vaporetto (water taxi) and drop off at the “Museo” vaporetto water bus stop. The museum is a short walk along the Fondamenta to your left as you get off the water bus.

Palazzo Pitti – Palatine Chapel (Florence, Italy)

Palatine Chapel

The Palatine Chapel, completed in 1575, was originally a large environment forming part of the suites used as dining rooms that Bartolomeo Ammannati created on the ground floor of the Pitti Palace. Later, it was used firstly as a reception room and enhanced by precious vestments.   In 1658, it was used as a lounge for the foreign princes and, in 1661, when Cosimo III married Marguerite Louise d’Orléans, the suite was renovated and used as a residence for the “Wedded Royals.”

For this occasion, Jacopo Chiavistelli decorated the rooms with frescoes featuring subjects and architectures we can only imagine today.  According to the descriptions of the time, they portrayed Cosimo’s challenge and Apollo’s cart, among allegories of Day and Night on the vault, the months of the year and the Zodiac signs, alternating with backgrounds of architecture on the main walls and, on the smaller walls, the weapons of the Medici and the Orleans family.

In 1765, following the arrival of Grand Duke Leopold II of Lorraine in Florence, the area was radically transformed. Deciding to convert the hall into a new palace chapel, Leopold II assigned the renovation project to architects Ruggeri and Paoletti.  They created stages for the court and musicians, opened up the great arched window that replaced the original ones and added choirs to the opposite side.

To the right of the altar, a small choir for the rulers was built while, on the wall behind the altar, a space for hosting ladies was carved out. Finally, the iconographic content of Chiavistelli’s frescoes was changed, with a few retouches, by painter Vincenzo Meucci who transformed it from the profane to sacred.

Ceiling fresco

Initially, in 1766, work commenced on three wooden altars designed for the Chapel. In 1785, the three wooden altars were replaced by a new large single altar designed by painter Santi Pacini and made using parts of the altar, commissioned by Ferdinando I de’ Medici in the 16th century and destined for the Cappella dei Principi in San Lorenzo, which was never finished (the altar, over time, became a true mine of precious material to use for new works). They included two very interesting panels in bas-relief, attributed to Ludovico Cigoli, which were created using the semi-precious stone mosaic technique that dates to the early 17th century.

The first one, constituting the door of the ciborium above, represents “The Adoration of the Magi.” The second one, depicting “The Last Supper,” is positioned in the center of the frontal with allegories of Faith and Charity at the sides. It is flanked by full-relief figures, in niches, of the saints Athanasius and Giovanni Grisostomo. Both panels, set in splendid frames of white marble and golden bronze, feature jaspers, pearls, chalcedonies, quartz, amethysts and lapis lazuli.  The precious ivory Crucifix with the figure of Magdalene at the feet of Christ, a masterpiece of Baroque eburnean sculpture, was left at the top of the new altar.  Today, Lorenz Rues is credited with carving it and Antonio Raggi with creating the figure of Magdalene.

The altar of the chapel

The altar, one of the most precious treasures contained in the Pitti Palace, was definitely created under the direction of Cosimo Siriès (then Superintendent of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure), who was also an artist. He further decorated the altar with holy ornaments in silver (a so-called “residence” with a cross, statues of saints and candlesticks). Unfortunately, all traces of the holy silver elements were lost during the French dominion. However, to this day, the silver and gold wooden ‘baldachin,’ added in 1793, still stands in the same spot.

The choirs were enhanced by adding two columns of alabaster from Montalcino.  The two central doors of the main walls were closed to make space for the new fresco decorations created by Luigi Ademollo.  Ademollo also painted the frescoes on the vault and the decorations on the choirs and small choirs, portraying “various events in the life of Jesus Christ’s” with strikingly scenographic characteristics (the “Crucifixion” on the wall to the right of the altar and “Palm Sunday” on the wall to the left). When Ferdinand III returned to Florence, Ademollo completed the decoration of the Chapel by decorating the left-hand choir in the chapel, built in 1823.

Palm Sunday (Luigi Ademollo)

Between 1791 and 1792, Ferdinand III (who succeeded Leopold II) completely changed the decorative layout of the chapel in an operation that endowed the chapel with its current shapes, based on the design by Bernardo Fallani.

Although dating back to the mid 19th century, the ensemble picks up on the designs and motifs in use in the previous century, establishing a seamless dialog with the articulate decorations in white stucco and gold (carried out between 1685 and 1687 from designs by Giovan Battista Foggini), with scrolls and mottoes referring to Ferdinando and his wife, Violante di Baviera.

The Crucifixion (Luigi Ademollo)

Palatine Chapel: Ground Floor, Pitti Palace, Piazza de’ Pitti, 1, FlorenceItaly. 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.

Palazzo Pitti – Gallery of Modern Art (Florence, Italy)

Gallery of Modern Art

The Gallery of Modern Art, housing one of the most important and complete collections of early and late 19th century and early 20th century Italian paintings, occupies an impressive 30 rooms on the second floor (opened to public viewing since 1924) of the Palazzo Pitti once inhabited by the Habsburg-Lorraine family from which there is a magnificent view over Florence and the Boboli Gardens.  It extends as far as the rooms and the facade used by the for the palace library and the side wings used for children and retainers.

Founded in 1914, it initially comprised the Grand Ducal paintings of modern art, complemented by further modern works of art in the ownership of both the state and the municipality of Florence, brought in from the Academy of Fine Arts. The sumptuous rooms, furnished in the first half of the 19th century with frescoes, stuccoes, and period furnishings, constitute a perfect setting for the works.

Recently, these rooms have been reorganized, according to chronological criteria that trace a wide chronological arc. Though the rooms on the second floor have been restored, the decoration, upholstering and furniture of the Lorraine period have been maintained. Great informative materials are available in each room.

To some, the title “Gallery of Modern Art” may sound incorrect, as the art in the gallery covers the period of time going from Neo-Classicism (the age of Peter Leopold) up to the First World War to the 1920’s and no examples of later art are included in the collection.   In Italy, “modern art” refers to the period before World War II.  What follows is generally known as “contemporary art” (arte contemporanea) which, in Tuscany, can be found at the Centro per l’arte contemporanea Luigi Pecci at Prato, a city about 15 kms. (9 mi.) from Florence.

The tour of its current large collection, still being added to through donations and purchases, is arranged in multiple, overlapping rows and organized in chronological order and by historical-topical category.  It attempts to furnish visitors with a clear view of the history of the various core collections, enabling a correct reading of the diverse atmospheres, marked as they are by the personal tastes of the royal families alternating in their reigns.  Today, due to a convention signed by the Italian State and the Municipal Administration of Florence, it has a very special juridical nature.

Entry of Charles VIII into Florence (Giuseppe Bezzuoli)

Our chronological journey began with the movements of the early 1800s, with artworks from the Neo-Classical (like the Oath of the Saxons to Napoleon by Pietro Benvenuti), to Purism and the Romantic (like the grandiose Entry of Charles VIII into Florence by Giuseppe Bezzuoli or The Two Foscari  by Francesco Hayez).

The Expulsion from Florence of the Duke of Athens (Stefano Ussi, 1861)

Also included is a vast assortment of paintings of modern Italian schools of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, based on historical subjects that document one of most significant aspects of the first half of the 19th century culture. These comprise works by Luigi Sabatelli, Enrico Pollastrini or by Stefano Ussi with his famous The Expulsion from Florence of the Duke of Athens.

The 19th-century itinerary concludes with works of Symbolist and Divionist movements. Among the various works on display include many paintings of views and interior scenes by the delicate Silvestro Lega and the vigorous landscape painter Telemaco Signorini, a series of his rapid and elegant portraits by Giovanni Boldini, plus other works by Giorgio Morandi, Francesco Hayez, Camille Pissarro, Filippo de Pisis, Carlo Carra, Giorgio de Chirico, M. Rosso and Plinio Nomellini and futurist avant-garde works.

In addition to the above-mentioned collections, the Gallery also displays a lavish collection of 19th century works arranged in the so-called Mezzanine of the Eyes (Mezzanino degli Occhi, the “eyes” being windows in the shape of a circle).

However, the paintings that most characterize the Gallery are those of the Macchiaioli movement (starting at Room 17), a school of famous Tuscan artists of the mid-19th century, led by Giovanni Fattori, who are early pioneers and the founders of the Impressionist movement that set out the premise for a wide-scale innovation at a national level. Many of the works of these artists displayed in the Gallery belong to the collection of Diego Martelli, a critic, gallery owner (who went back and forth between Florence and Impressionist Paris) and friend of the Macchiaioli who left their paintings to the museum at the end of the last century.

Italian Camp at the Battle of Magenta (Giovanni Fattori)

This section comprises important works by Giovanni Fattori such as the small and beautiful panel Rotonda at Palmieri, the Italian Camp at the Battle of Magenta, and the Lo Staffato plus a rich series of landscapes and scenes of life in the Maremma such as the Market San Godenzo in Maremma (1887), the Ox Cart in the Tuscan Maremma, and the Sheep’s Jump (Il Salto delle Pecore, 1887).

The Sheep’s Jump (Giovanni Fattori, 1887)

Within the same period are many fine sculptures such as the Calliope of Antonio Canova, Psyché by Pietro Tenerani and the famous Abel Defeated by Giovanni Dupré.

Abel Defeated (Giovanni Dupre)

The sculptures of Adriano Cecioni, lucidly translated and experimented with the tonal ideas prevalent to whom the touch was so important. You can also visit the apartments of the Duchess of Aosta, with the original furnishings that belonged to the Savoia family.

Apartment of the Duchess of Aosta

Gallery of Modern Art: Second Floor, Palazzo Pitti, Piazza de’ Pitti 1, 50125 Florence, Italy.  Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 8.15 AM to 6.50 PM. Closed: Mondays, New Year’s Day, May 1 and Christmas Day. Admission: € 8.50 (full price), € 4.25 (reduced).  Free admission: children under 6 years old, disabled people and their helpers, authorized tour guides and leaders, teachers accompanying school groups. The ticket is also valid for the entrance to the Palatine Gallery. The ticket office closes at 6.05 PM and closing operations begin 6.30 PM.

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

Palazzo Pitti – Costume Gallery (Florence, Italy)

Costume Gallery

Costume Gallery

The Costume Gallery (Galleria del Costume), the only National Museum in Italy exclusively dedicated to the history of fashion, is housed in a small southern building wing of the Meridiana (Palazzina della Meridiana),  a suite of 14 rooms (completed in 1858) of the Pitti Palace.

DSC03075

Founded in 1983 (one of the newer collections to the palazzo) by Kirsten Aschengreen Piacenti, it is home to more than 6,000 pieces, including clothing and fashion accessories from the eighteenth century to the present day.  They include a group of about 90 theatrical costumes belonging to the Sartoria Tirelli, gathered by Umberto Tirelli, founder of an important tailoring, and a collection of fashion jewelry of the twentieth century (dating from the 16th century until the present).

DSC03078

The semi-permanent exhibition of the Lorraine/Savoy rooms display pieces from the museum collection of historical clothes and accessories, previously stored in the palace´s warehouses. They include court and gala gowns (including clothes from Sicilian aristocratic Donna Franca Florio, one of the most famous European personalities during the Belle Epoque), haute couture dresses; ready-to-wear clothes, custom-made Florentine and Neapolitan bridal gowns from the early 1900s; as well as Italian cinematic, theatrical and music divas costumes (including dresses of Eleonora Duse, one of the most famous Italian theater actresses), all organized in chronological and thematic paths.

Donna Franca Florio cape

Donna Franca Florio cape

The collections also feature whole clothes collections of celebrities, also of great historical and documentary value, creations of the most famous designers of the twentieth century – Lucile, Versace, Valentino, Loris Azzaro, Armani, Renato Balestra, Missoni, Roberto Cavalli, Ken Scott, Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, Gucci, and Prada.

DSC03089

Some of the exhibits are unique to the Palazzo Pitti. Composed of clothes once belonging to members of the Medici family who ruled Florence during the Renaissance, they include the fine, recently restored 16th-century funeral clothes of Grand Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici, and Eleonora of Toledo and her son Don Garzia, both of whom died 15 years before from malaria, worn while they were being displayed in state (they were reclad in plainer attire before interment).

 

Cosimo I de' Medici funeral clothes

Cosimo I de’ Medici funeral clothes

Don Garzia funeral clothes

Don Garzia funeral clothes

The richly-decorated galleries of the museum, equipped with air-conditioned display stands, display dresses on mannequins with female body structure (constricting structures such as corsets often changed the body) typical of the period in which the dress was made. The dancing hall, among other rooms, is used for temporary exhibitions of great interest.

DSC03092

For didactic purposes and in order to represent the evolution of fashion, the exhibits are updated regularly every two or three years with different selections of clothes, a decision that originates from the need of guaranteeing their preservation.  It also offers the opportunity of displaying the patrimony preserved in the depository, mostly from public and private donations. Visitors can browse the story of costume, from the Renaissance to present day, through an extensive set of dresses and accessories, combined with contextual images and description panels.

DSC03097

The gallery’s heritage is enriched by an archive paper with drawings, sketches and patterns of important figures such as Thayaht, Cesare Guidi, Simonetta Colonna di Cesaro and Alberto Fabiani. The gallery also exhibits a collection of mid-20th century costume jewellery and accessories. The Meridiana building, close to the gallery, is also the seat of a fabric restoration laboratory which is essential for the maintenance of clothing and accessories.

DSC03091

Costume Gallery: Palazzo Pitti, Piazza de’ Pitti, 50125 Florence, Italy. Tel: +39 055 238 8611. Amission: € 7.00. Open daily, 8:15 AM – 4:30 PM (November to February), 8:15 AM – 5:30 PM (March, winter time, October winter time), 8:15 AM – 6:30 PM (March, summer time, April, May, September, October, summer time), 8:15 AM – 6:50 PM (June to August). Closed on the first and last Monday of each month, May 1 and Christmas.

Palazzo Pitti – Imperial and Royal Apartments (Florence, Italy)

An array of Medici portraits at the Blue Room (Salotto Celeste)

From the Palatine Gallery, our visit continued to the monumental Imperial and Royal Apartments.  Taking up 14 magnificent ceremonial rooms (now differentiated from the Palatine Gallery) at the right wing of the main floor of the Palazzo Pitti, it opened out along the south side of the Palazzo Pitti façade. Over three subsequent historical periods, they have been an important record of the history of the palace. The three different styles, corresponding to three different historical periods, are harmoniously balanced in that gives us an idea of its appearance before its transfer to the State in 1914.

Though their decoration has been changed to Empire style by the House of Savoy, there are still some rooms that maintain decorations and furniture from the age of the Medici. In 1911, restoration and general reorganization of the inventory of the paintings and furniture of the Pitti Palace was performed. After the recent refurbishing of the Apartments, started in 1987, these precious rooms were reopened to the public in 1993.

Parrot Room (Sala dei Pappagalli)

In contrast to the great salons of the Palatine Gallery, some of these rooms, while still grand and gilded, are much smaller, more intimate and are more suited to day-to-day living requirements with period furnishings including four-poster beds and other necessary furnishings not found elsewhere in the palazzo.  From the 17th century onwards, these majestic rooms were the residence of the Grand Ducal Medici family (until their extinction in 1734), then of the Lorraine (Lorenese) family and, finally, of the Savoys (when, from 1866-1870, Florence became the second capital of unified Italy and Vittoria Emanuele II chose to make the Pitti the royal residence).

Bearing traces of the changing dynasties, these rooms were sumptuously furnished with pieces from the collections of the Medici, Habsburg-Lorraine and House of Savoy such as tables with semi-precious stone inlays, consoles and mirrors, furnishings and silk tapestries on the walls.  These striking mixture of styles reflect the daily life and taste of the different periods and inhabitants.

Chapel

The apartments still retain the layout given by the Grand Prince Ferdinando dei Medici, the son of Cosimo III. The few treasures from the Medici period that remain include the precious 17th century ebony and semi-precious stone cabinet that belonged to the Grand Duchess Vittoria della Rovere (the wife of Ferdinando II) and the chapel.  The prevailing appearance of the Royal Apartments, as seen today, is that given them, in the fourth and fifth decades of the 19th century, by the Neo-Classical taste of the Lorraine-Hapsburgs.  These rooms were given its final character by the Savoys who left a strongly eclectic and distinctive stamp of their taste on the general appearance of the Royal and Imperial Apartments, which is still visible today.

The Grand Dukes of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine altered, restored and re-furnished the apartments, between the end of the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century, according to the changing taste of the period, decorating the ceilings with stucco and Neo-Classical subjects and the Oval Room (known as the Queen’s Dressing Room) with light hand-embroidered silk panels to the designs of Ignacio Pellegrini, and the ceiling with colored Rococo stucco.

Green Room

From 1865, during the time of the sovereigns of the House of Savoy, some rooms (notably the chapel) were also entirely refurnished and carpeted, between the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th centuries, according to the Empire style of the period.

The Green Room (Salone Verde), frescoed by Giuseppe Castagnoli in early 19th century, exhibits an Intarsia Cabinet from the 17th century and a collection of gilded bronzes. The name of the room comes from the green color of the wall coverings, curtains and the upholstery on some of the furniture (which are all in silk – textured or plain) fitted, between 1854 and 1855, by Florentine manufacturers.

Green Room (Sala Verde)

In that period, the room was completely redecorated, like the Blue Room and the Throne Room that follow it, earning the name of Fabric District (Quartiere delle Stoffe).  Since the last Grand Duke, Leopold II of Lorraine had chosen the new Palazzina della Meridiana as his home, it was used first as a reception room.

Also from the same period are the carpet (made by the prestigious Royal Works of Tournai, in northern France, and decorated with late imperial motifs), a pair of lamps, the brackets for the candle holders, the fire guard and the fireplace mirror (carved in imitation of the two placed above the slightly older consoles).  Coming from different periods are the rest of the furnishings and paintings (starting with the canvas on the ceiling, the Allegory of Peace between Florence and Siena, painted by Luca Giordano in 1682 for Cosimo III.

Stipo Cabinet

The Stipo cabinet, belonging to Vittoria della Rovere, is definitely the most important piece of furniture.  This monumental work of art, from the ducal workshops of the 17th century, emulated, on a small scale,  the Historicist style of the side table from the Opificio delle Pietre Dure (delivered to the Pitti Palace in 1852 and subsequently placed in the room), with the Savoy period typical nonchalant style and tone.

The Throne Room (Sala del Trono), decorated for King Vittoria Emanuele II  of Savoy, was used for official audiences as well as to hang some of the paintings from his famous collection.  The throne is under a canopy. The royal setting is emphasized by the large mirrors on the walls (to multiply the images of the king) as well as by the sumptuous mid 19th century Baroque red damask silk lampas ensemble on the walls.

Throne Room

The throne area was set out later, for the arrival of the Savoy monarch, and then, after 1871, changed again when the balustrade and audience chair were added with the emblem of the Savoys.  On the ceiling arch are the triumphant decorations by Giuseppe Castagnoli (1754-1832) while the image of Jupiter enthroned is framed with monochrome decorations.

A clock flanked by Oriental vases and candelabras

The room has been further enhanced by a richly inlaid, gilded lamp while inlaid and gilded console tables are decorated with candelabras and imposing 17th-18th century Oriental Japanese and Chinese porcelain vases.

Like the Green Room and the Throne Room, the Blue Room (Salotto Celeste) was also renewed between 1854 and 1855 when this suite was known as the new Fabric District (Quartiere delle Stoffe). The room stands out for the Neo-Baroque decorative style, updated to the fashions of Paris and London in the mid-19th century. After the addition of new wallpaper (in this case, a shade of blue), the room was also given a carpet made by French weavers in Tournai. Furnishings include a small round table, with a pietre dure top on a base in porphyry, and the four candle holders.

Blue Room (Salotto Celeste)

The Blue Room pays homage to some members of the Medici family or those who were joined to it by marriage (except Cardinal Camillo Francesco Maria Pamphili) who, during the course of their lives, had spent time in these spaces.  Hung on the walls are 10 of a series of 12 portraits painted between 1621 and 1645 by court painter Giusto Sustermans (1597–1681), all identical in size and given new frames in the 1720s on the wishes of Grand Duke Cosimo III.  They include a full-length portrait of Christina of Lorraine, her daughter Claudia and husband Leopold of Austria, Cosimo II’s children, Francesco and Mattias, painted a few years later, Grand Duke Ferdinand II and Cardinal Carlo de’ Medici.

One of the Medici portraits

The large chandelier, the oldest (dating back to the 17th century) still in the palace, was carved by Vittorio Crosten.  The white stucco and gold ceiling dates back to the period of Peter Leopold of Lorraine.  The “eagle” fireplace was done by Francis Harwood, an Englishman (who moved to Florence, where he ended his days in 1783) who worked as a portrait painter and copyist of Roman antiquities for travelers on the Grand Tour.  He was employed by the Grand Duke to restore the sculptures in the palace and the Boboli Gardens.

Parrot Room

The Parrot Room (Sala dei Pappagalli), named for the bird (actually imperial eagles) motif in the beautiful silk lampas wall coverings (which have a green background and were made in the manufactory of Lyon in France and brought by Grand Duke Ferdinando III from Vienna in 1814), divides the King’s Apartment (extending along the internal courtyard) from the Queen’s Apartment, which follows the southern axis.  The Lorraine family installed the large stove.  The carpet and crystal chandelier both date from the 19th century.

Portrait of Giulia Varano, Duchess of Urbino (Titian)

In these public and private rooms, the Savoyard Period’s (1860-1919) eclectic taste (as described in the 1911 inventory) is particularly evident.  The clock, with its chased and gilded bronze shelf and black marble base, was made in 1812 by Pierre Philippe Thomire, a famous Parisian bronze maker.

The “recycling” of works of art, typical of the Restoration (c. 1815), includes the original bust of Napoleon being replaced with the bust of Ferdinando III and the imperial eagle with the allegorical figure of Tuscany.  The table cover, of silk and gilded silver, is in Louis XV styleImpruneta Fair, by Filippo Napoletano, is a depiction of the famous fair held near Florence every October 18th.

Chapel

The Chapel, intended by Grand Prince Ferdinando de’Medici (who lived there until his death in 1713) to be an alcove, or rather, an official bedroom (the real bedroom for sleeping was two doors further on) designed to receive a small group of people, shows the most obvious traces of the Medici story in the palace.

However, the echoes of the Medici style were cushioned during the Savoy rule when, with the aim of providing a seamless sequence of representation rooms, the furnishings were updated, including the table, mirror, vases and clock, and the accents that were probably considered too severe.

In the bed compartment, there is still a door that leads, by way of a spiral staircase, into a small library, closed by panels and cornices in different types of wood, decorated with plant motifs by French inlayer Riccardo Lebrun.

Mainly Late Baroque in style, the area is enhanced by a crimson silk damask ensemble which, although dating back to the mid 19th century, picks up on the designs and motifs in use in the previous century, establishing a seamless dialog with its, late 17th century character still evident in the articulate white stucco and gold decoration and in the gilded inlaid work by Giovan Battista Foggini (1652-1725), carried out between 1685 and 1687, with scrolls and mottoes referring to Ferdinando and his wife, Violante of Baviera. With the arrival of the Grand Dukes of Lorraine, the alcove was converted to a chapel.

Today, this area contains a mix of holy paintings and other highly crafted pieces.  The Virgin and Child, painted in 1675 by Carlo Dolci (1616-1686) for Vittoria della Rovere (widow of Ferdinando II de’ Medici), has a sumptuous and precious pietre dure frame, probably created from designs by Foggini on the occasion of the wedding of Prince Gian Gastone in 1697.

Other holy paintings shown here include two round works from the school of Sandro Botticelli and a 17th-century copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s Virgin on the Rocks (noted, above all, for its Baroque frame).

Royal Apartments: First Floor, South Wing, Pitti Palace, Piazza de’ Pitti, 1, FlorenceItaly. 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.

Palazzo Pitti – Hall of Venus (Florence, Italy)

Hall of Venus (Sala di Venere)

The Hall of Venus (Sala di Venere) starts the series of elegant rooms in the winter apartment on the first floor of Palazzo Pitti. This famous great hall, in Medici times, was the general antechamber where, before being received by the Grand Duke, the common public waited to be admitted.

On his return to Florence in 1641, Pietro da Cortona, commissioned by Ferdinando II de’ Medici (who wanted to show that he has aligned himself with the new Baroque decorative style), decorated the hall with frescoes and stuccoes from 1641 to 1642, the first of the series of so-called Planetary Rooms to which he put his hand (for this reason, it is entirely autographed).

Ceiling fresco (Pietro de Cortona)

The iconographic Medici residence celebration programme, aimed at exalting the figure of the prince and the process of preparing him to govern well, featured a decorative theme proposed by Francesco Rondinelli (the grand duke’s librarian).

Two lunettes and a tondi

It involved the constant presence of all three key players in the rooms – the prince, Hercules (a symbol of the virtues of the prince and protector of the Medici family) and the gods of Olympus (Venus, Apollo, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn representing the Ptolemaic planets) to which the room is dedicated.The lively fresco in the ceiling vault depicts, in the center, Minerva tearing the young adolescent prince from the arms of Venus (a symbol of pleasure) and then handing him over to Hercules (a symbol of virtue), his new tutor.

A lunette

Stories from antiquity, linked by the theme of the virtuous behavior of illustrious men in front of beautiful women, are frescoed at the eight lunettes, all bearing explanatory inscriptions in Latin.  Behind the lunette with the Story of Antiochus and Stratonice is a small window inserted between the stuccoes so that the Grand Duke can spy on and listen to what happened or was said in the room below.

Tondi

Standing out, from the very rich white stucco ovals (tondi), are portraits of the most illustrious of the most important members of the grand duchy, as well as the two popes of the House of Medici (Leo X and Clement VII). Their personal emblems are found at the segments of the pendentives.

Tondi

With respect to the Renaissance construction, the change of spatial organization is felt less. Although softened by the presence of the gilt stucco telamons and the white stucco medallions, the pattern of the lunettes, of the rib vaults and pendentives follow a pattern that still reflects the order of the Renaissance interior.

Venere Italica (Antonio Canova, 1810)

Standing at the center of the room, placed well after the room had taken its name, is the famous statue of the Venere Italica (Italic Venus, 1804-1811) by Antonio Canova, a compensation to Florence for the transfer of the Medici Venus (a work that was later returned) to the Louvre by Napoleon.

La Bella (Titian, 1536)

On display are four masterpieces by Titian.   Concerto (ca. 1506-1507) is an early work.  The Portrait of Julius II is a copy of the original by Raphael (now at the National Gallery in London ) but different in the results, especially linked to the masterful use of the typical color of Titian. La Bella (a painting for the Duke of Urbino, 1536 ) and the Portrait of Pietro Aretino  (1545) fully manifests the chromatic richness and stylistic complexity of the works of the master’s maturity, for example with the contrast between the reds of the beard and the blue of the robe that exhales the figure and a disturbing nuance to the character, shot shyly in profile.

Vocation of Peter and Andrew (Il Cigoli, 1607)

The Return of the Peasants from the Fields (ca. 1627) and Ulysses on the Island of the Phaeacians (ca. 1635), two grandiose and solemn landscapes, are a reference to Pieter Paul Rubens (the ideal teacher of Pietro da Cortona and the Flemish equivalent of Titian).

Marina del Faro with Vessels and Galleys (Salvator Rosa, ca. 1641)

Finally, Marina del Faro with Vessels and Galleys (ca. 1641) and Marina del Porto at Sunset (ca. 1641), two large marinas painted by the famous Neapolitan landscape painter Salvator Rosa, are noteworthy.

Other works in the Hall of Venus include:

Return of the Peasants from the Fields (Pieter Paul Rubens, ca. 1627)

Hall of Venus: First Floor, Palatine Gallery, Pitti Palace, Piazza de’ Pitti, 1, FlorenceItaly. 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.

Palazzo Pitti – Hall of Apollo (Florence, Italy)

Hall of Apollo (Sala di Apollo)

During the period of the Medici court, the Hall of Apollo (Sala di Apollo) was formerly the antechamber of the “ordinary nobility,” used by gentlemen who were waiting to be received by the Grand Duke inside the Throne Room.  It is dominated by a large altarpiece with the Sacred Conversation by Rosso Fiorentino (1522), the most important Florentine artist of early Mannerism together with Jacopo Pontormo, whose canvas was enlarged in the Baroque period to be adapted to the frame.

On the center of the ceiling vault is the fresco Medici Prince Brought before Apollo by Fame by Pietro da Cortona who provided the complete project (including the stuccos) and started the central figures in 1647 not long before the artist left Florence to return to Rome, delegating the rest of the assignment to his loyal pupil Ciro Ferri,

Ferri completed the decorations in the room 15 years later, between 1659-1661, after being appointed to do so by the Grand Duke, adding the frescos in the lunettes and the superb stucco cornice (a model that was then copied throughout Europe), based on the designs and cartoons left by his teacher Cortona.

The theme alludes to the ideal path of the political and moral education of the young prince, illuminated by Apollo and then guided along the path of knowledge by the laws governing the cosmos as evoked by Hercules holding the celestial globe, an obvious reference to Galileo Galilei’s recent discoveries and a symbol of the weight of the responsibilities of the future sovereign.

Ceiling fresco

Ovals and plumes, in the stucco, are examples of great ancient rulers who resorted to poetry and culture.  The stucco medallions below, showing some of the best-known feats of the Greek god, warns the future sovereign of the weight of responsibility from government and the need to be educated for the task by the Arts and by study.

Fresco of Augustus listening to the reading of the Aeneid,

The square frames show the emperors, including Augustus, intent upon listening to the reading of the Aeneid, or Alexander the Great receiving the poems of Homer, and condottieri from antiquity who favored the development of culture.  In the corbels are the Muses, Apollo’s companions.

Deposition from the Cross (Il Cigoli, 1600-1608)

The pictorial cycle and the articulated group of white stucco and gilt figures that disrupt the Renaissance style of the architectural setting, introduces a significant new element, animating the ceiling with an illusion of male sculptures holding up the heavy festoons and satyrs wrapped in vine tendrils.

Holy Family Bracci  (Andrea del Sarto, ca. 1523)

Also in the room are three works by Andrea del Sarto – the majestic and balanced Pietà di Luco (1523-1524), Holy Family Bracci  (ca. 1523) and the Holy Family Medici (1529), one of his last works.   Exhibited nearby are two other works by Titian – the Man with Glaucous Eyes  (ca. 1525) and the famous  Penitent Magdalene (ca. 1530), much copied by the artists who were able to admire her.

Portrait of the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain in the dress of a Clarissa  (Pieter Paul Rubens)

There are also other important works of the Venetian school here such as the Portrait of Vincenzo Zeno (ca. 1565) by Tintoretto and the Nymph and the Satyr (1508-1512) by Dosso Dossi (actually the traditional title is incorrect because it is a scene inspired by Orlando Furioso). The Hospitality of San Giuliano (ca. 1612-1618) exemplifies the monumental style of the Florentine Alessandro Allori while Saint Peter Resurrects Tabita (ca. 1618) by the young Guercino and Cleopatra (1640), a mature work of Guido Reni, shows the grandeur of the Bolognese school of the seventeenth century.

Supper at Emmaus  (Jacopo Pistoia, ca. 1570-1572)

Flemish art is also well represented here by the famous double Portrait of Charles I and Henrietta Maria of England by the school of Anton van Dyck,  Portrait of the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain in the dress of a Clarissa  (ca. 1625) by Pieter Paul Rubens and the Portrait of Vittoria della Rovere as the Vestal Tuccia (ca. 1640) by Justus Suttermans.

Pieta di Luco (Andrea del Sarto)

Other works in the Hall of Apollo include:

Hall of Apollo: First Floor, Palatine Gallery, Palace, Piazza de’ Pitti, 1, FlorenceItaly. 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.

Palazzo Pitti – Hall of Mars (Florence, Italy)

Hall of Mars (Sala di Marte)

The Hall of Mars (Sala di Marte) was, at the time of the Medici, the antechamber of the throne room where the chamberlain introduced the nobles, ambassadors and visitors in the presence of the Grand Duke. Dedicated to Mars, it forms part of the cycle of works of the so-called Planet rooms carried out in the 1640s by Pietro da Cortona.

The ceiling vault, frescoed on the theme of war by Cortona between 1643 and 1647, features the Medici coat of arms in the center, held aloft by a cluster of cherubs and topped with a crown inscribed with the name of Ferdinando II de’ Medici who commissioned the impressive decorative work.

Ceiling vault fresco

An allegorical representation of the education of the young prince, Hercules (the young prince’s alter-ego and patron god of the Medici family) is depicted in a naval battle which rages along the perimeter, watched over by Mars, the god of War, who bestows strength to the young man by lighting him with his star.

Medici coat-of-arms

With the enemy weapons spoils given to him by the Dark Gods, Hercules makes a trophy (panoply) while a parade of prisoners, their weapons discarded in the hope of a lasting peace, advances towards the female figures of Victory, Plenty and Peace, crowned with laurel. Rotating on himself, he receives the gladius of victory from Castor and Pollux, to be added to the trophy.

Victory, Plenty and Peace

More than any other room in the Pitti Palace, the Hall of Mars, perhaps due to the theatrical composition and the lively arrangement of characters on the ceiling, reaches the level of Baroque illusionism found in the famous vault in Palazzo Barberini (where Cortona had just completed his Triumph of Divine Providence fresco) in Rome.

Four Philosophers (Peter Paul Rubens, 1612)

In this room there are two Pieter Paul Rubens masterpieces. The monumental  Consequences of the War (1638 ), a grandiose allegory in harmony with the theme of Pietro da Cortona’s frescoes on the ceiling, shows Venus vainly entreating Mars not to go to war. The Four Philosophers (ca. 1612), of great intensity, has a self-portrait at the top left. Both canvases are rich in literary and philosophical citations and often figures from classical mythology appear.

Madonna and Child (Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, ca. 1650-1655)

San Sebastiano (Guercino’s Workshop)

The room is also accompanied by a series of portraits, among which the most important are by Anton van Dyck (Portrait of Cardinal Bentivoglio, 1622-1623), Titian (Portrait of Ippolito de ‘Medici, 1532), Tintoretto (Portrait of Alvise Cornaro, ca. 1665) and Paolo Veronese (Portrait of a Gentleman in Fur, ca. 1550-1560).

Saint Francis of Assisi in Ecstasy (Pieter van Mol)

Other works in the Hall of Mars include:

St. Peter in Tears (From Guido Reni

Hall of Mars: First Floor, Palatine Gallery, Palace, Piazza de’ Pitti, 1, FlorenceItaly. 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.

Palazzo Pitti – Hall of Saturn (Florence, Italy)

Hall of Saturn (Sala dei Saterno)

The Hall of Saturn (Sala di Saturno), the last in the series of the Planet Rooms, once marked the beginning of the grand duke’s private apartment (it was also known as the Audience Chamber as he held audience here). The ceiling vault was richly painted, in 1663-65, by Ciro Ferri , the best pupil of Pietro da Cortona, who used the master’s drawings.

It represents the conclusion of the cycle of the Planets and the parable of the prince’s earthly life (now close to an end), having completed the journey of identification with Hercules, the Medici hero.  The now immortal old Prince/Hercules is now conducted into the Empyrean, accompanied by Prudence and Mars.

Ceiling fresco

Here, awaited by Saturn/Kronos (the divinity that represents Time), he wins the crown back from Fame and Eternity and then, now perfect, sets out to go up to the stake to conclude his glorious life in the heavens and eternity. At the four corners are many examples of senile wisdom, with episodes from the lives of Cyrus the GreatLycurgusScipio the African and Sulla.

Lunette

In the center of the room is a marble masterpiece statue of Victory (1859) by the modern sculptor Vincenzo Consani. The most consistent nucleus of Raphael‘s anthology of works are located here, allowing you to retrace different periods and styles of his activity.

La Vittoria (Vincenzo Consani)

The Madonna of the Grand Duke (ca. 1506), still linked to the artistic events of Pietro Perugino and Leonardo, celebrates the strength of the first hug, the maternal one, a universal gesture that simultaneously expresses powerful protection and infinite tenderness.

Madonna of the Chair (Raphael, ca. 1513 – 1514)

The Madonna of the Baldacchino (1507 – 1508), on the other hand, is unfinished. Works of full stylistic maturity include the Portrait of Tommaso Inghirami (ca. 1510) and the famous Madonna of the Chair (ca. 1513 – 1514) of great tenderness and sublime in the drafting of the painting, monumental and at the same time sweet familiar scene.

Annunciation della Scala (Andrea del Sarto, 1528)

The exceptional series is completed the Vision of Ezekiel, a later work of 1518, with a very strong monumental composition, according to the Roman style of the painter who will greatly influence the subsequent artists linked to the schools of Classicism and Baroque.

San Sebastiano (Guercino , 1652)

Other important works in the room are the Lamentation over the Dead Christ (1495) by Pietro Perugino, master of Raphael, the Salvator Mundi With the Four Evangelists  (1516) by Fra Bartolomeo and two large paintings by Andrea del Sarto : the Dispute on the Trinity (ca. 1517) and the Annunciation Della Scala (1528).

Other works in the Hall of Saturn include:

Martyrdom of Saint Agatha (Sebastiano del Piombo, 1520)

Hall of Saturn: Room 24, First Floor, Palatine Gallery, Pitti Palace, Piazza de’ Pitti, 1, FlorenceItaly. 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.