Localization
Florence
(Italian: Firenze) is the capital city of both Firenze province and the
Tuscany region of central Italy; it lies on the Arno River at the foot of
the Apennines. The population of the city is 402,316 (1991). It has an
average temperature of 11 deg C (53 deg F) and receives about 735 mm (29
in) of rainfall annually. Florence's modern importance is in large part a
result of the great outburst of artistic and architectural activity that
occurred there from the 13th to the 15th century. The city's cultural
treasures have made tourism the mainstay of the economy. Since the late
19th century, large residential and manufacturing districts have sprung up
around the old city core. Florence is famous for its gold and silver
jewelry, leatherwork, high-fashion clothing, shoes, ornamental glass, and
furniture. Wine, olive oil, and precision instruments are other notable
products. The city is on Italy's north-south railroad line and is
therefore an important rail center. The Artistic Heritage of Florence
Florence attracts well over 1 million tourists annually, many of them from
the United States, who are drawn to the numerous monuments and museums.
Many of the best known architectural treasures are religious buildings,
notably the Baptistery of San Giovanni (c.1000), considered the oldest
building in the city, and San Miniato, another fine Romanesque church. The
bronze-relief baptistery doors, designed by Lorenzo GHIBERTI, were
constructed in the first half of the 15th century. The bell tower of the
Gothic cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore was designed by GIOTTO. The
cathedral--which contains the Florence Pieta (c.1546-50), a sculptural
masterpiece by MICHELANGELO-- was begun in 1294 and consecrated in 1436.
The dome was designed (c.1420) by Filippo BRUNELLESCHI. Brunelleschi also
originally designed the Ospedale degli Innocenti, whose wide arches are
decorated with glazed terra-cottas by Luca della Robbia (see DELLA ROBBIA
family). Not far from the cathedral is the Medici parish church of San
Lorenzo. Michelangelo constructed one of the church's Medici chapels, and
it contains magnificent sculptures he made for the tombs of Giuliano and
Lorenzo. The 13th-century Franciscan church of Santa Croce--its interior
decorated by Giotto, CIMABUE, DONATELLO, Brunelleschi, and others--has a
MICHELOZZO designed Medici chapel in which Michelangelo, Galileo,
Machiavelli, and Rossini are buried. The Piazzadella Signoria contains the
PALAZZO VECCHIO, built in the 14th century as the seat of Florentine
government, and the Loggia dei Lanzi. It was redecorated two centuries
later when the Medicis added open-air sculpture galleries and beautiful
fountains. The BARGELLO, which also dates from the 14th century, is now a
state museum. The enormous PITTI PALACE (begun 1458) was the official home
of the king when Florence was Italy's capital (1865-70). The noted Boboli
Gardens are behind the palace. Florence has about 40 art museums, which
house the works of such masters as Masaccio, Fra Angelico, Botticelli,
Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Donatello, Ghiberti, Luca della Robbia,
Michelangelo, Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese, and Rubens. The Pitti and the
UFFIZI, originally the office building of the Medici grand dukes, hold two
of the world's greatest collections of medieval and Renaissance art. The
city's national library and state archives house incomparable manuscript
collections.
History
Originally
Etruscan, then Roman (until the 5th century), Gothic, Byzantine, and
Lombard, Florence reached its peak of economic, political, and cultural
splendor between the 13th and 16th centuries. Commercial power developed
in earnest after Florence became a free commune in 1115. Ripped by civil
strife until the late 13th century, Florence nevertheless flourished as a
trade and industrial center. It was ruled by an oligarchy of merchants and
bankers and gradually attained supremacy over the surrounding area. In
1348 more than 60% of the nearly 100,000 inhabitants were killed by the
Black Death (BUBONIC PLAGUE), temporarily halting the city's growth. Three
hundred years of domination by the MEDICI family began in 1434 with Cosimo
(1389-1464). Medici control, largely the result of financial power and
political skill, was interrupted by the revolution of 1494-98, led by the
Dominican religious reformer Girolamo SAVONAROLA. In 1527, Emperor CHARLES
V restored the Medici, and Alessandro (c.1510-1537) became the first duke
of Tuscany. Cosimo I (1519-74), who was created the first grand duke in
1569, brought almost all of Tuscany under his rule. The grand duchy was
ruled by the house of Habsburg-Lorraine after the Medici line died out in
1737. Tuscany was annexed to the new kingdom of Italy in 1861, and
Florence was made the capital of the kingdom in 1865. After the capital
was moved (1871) to Rome, the city declined. Threatened for centuries by
flooding from the Arno River, the city was devastated by a 1966 inundation.
Supported by contributions from all over the world, experts worked for
years to salvage the city's art treasures.
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PITTI:
MUSEUM OF MUSEUMS
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Inside
it many museums find their home: the Silver Museum, the Palatina
Gallery, the real Apartments, the Modern Art Gallery,
the Carriage Museum, the Porcelain Museum and the open-air
museum of the Boboli Gardens.
It was built around the middle of the XV century by the Florentine
banker Luca di Buonaccorso Pitti who gave the commission to
Filippo Brunelleschi. The project was then realized by his pupil
Luca Fancelli. Originally the palace was of a cubic shape,
composed of three doors and 7 windows, corresponding to the
Renaissance ideal of symmetric harmony.
The palace remained unfinished until 1550, when Cosimo I Medici
and his wife Eleonora of Toledo bought the palace to transform it
into a residence for the Grand Duke. Bartolomeo Ammannati was the
great architect to make the modifications most relevant, like
those to close the lateral doors with "kneeling" windows
and to create the monumental courtyard that everyday fills with
thousands of visitors. Many changes have been made with the
passing of power, many of said transformations being in the Lorena
period.
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VISITING
PALAZZO PITTI
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The
Medici, who purchased the building a century later,
commisioned Bartolomeo Ammannati (1558-1570) to enlarge it
following one of Brunellischi's design. Ammannati
transformed two side doors into ground-floor windows,
lengthened the facade, and created the most beautiful of
Renaissance courtyards, the Cortile dell' Ammannati,
in the interior of the Palazzo. In 1783 the Duke of
Lorraine added the so-called "rondò", the
beautiful side wing which juts out into the square (on the
right). A second wing (on the left) was added in the
nineteenth century.
Inside the Palazzo is the Galleria Palatina, containing
works by Titian, Raphael, Tintoretto, Caravaggio,
Botticelli, Andrea del Sarto, Filippo Lippi, Perugino,
Velazquez, van Dyck, and Rubens. The Galleria d'Arte
Moderna contains a good selection of Italian paintings
from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including
works by the Macchiaioli, a nineteenth-century school of
Tuscan painters whose works were characterized by
"macchie" or spots. The Museo degli Argenti
displays silver, gold, stone, glass, and crystalware, as
well as precious china.
The Collezione Contini-Bonacossi is located in the Palazzina
della Meridiana. It contains works by Duccio da
Boninsegna, Goya, and Veronese. Also located in the
Palazzina is the Galleria del Costume, with rotating
exhibits of clothing from different periods. In the right
wing of the Palazzo is the Museo delle Carrozze containing
coaches from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Behind the Palazzo lie the famous Boboli Gardens, a
vast and splendid Italian-style public gardens which
reflect, the taste of the high Renaissance period (masses
of trees treated as architecture, lawns, grottos,
fountains, etc.).The Palazzo is also the site for
temporary exhibitions.
Opening Hours:
Galleria Palatina - 9:00 - 19:00 Tues-Sat; 9:00
-14:00 Sun. Phone (055)2388614
Galleria d'Arte Moderna- 8:00 - 14:00 daily; Closed
on te 1st , 3rd and 5th Mon AND 2nd & 4th Sun of each
month. Phone (055)2388616
Museo degli Argenti- 8:00 - 14:00 daily; Closed on
te 1st , 3rd and 5th Mon AND 2nd & 4th Sun of each
month.Phone (055)2388709.
Galleria del Costume- Could still be closed for
renovations.
Situated in the first great square in the area that the
Florentines call "Diladdarno" - beyond
the Arno - , Palazzo Pitti dominates
uncontested by a small hill at the feet of Boboli.
Its construction was commissioned, in the second half of
the 15th century, by the banker Luca Bonaccorso Pitti to
Filippo Brunelleschi, but the project is
presently ascribed to Luca Fancelli who
created and began building the first palace outside the
walls of the city. The palace has had a long history of
works of construction and of extensions which have lasted
about four centuries.
The first version of Palazzo Pitti had smaller body
dimensions compared to the present one. It consisted
of two floors covered with rusticated stone ashlars. The
architectural Renaissance style, austere and balanced, was
enriched by classical elements from the Doric, Ionic and
Corinthian orders. The following extensions gave the
Palace its present appearance. Around 1550 the Grand-Duke
Cosimo I de' Medici purchased it to become the
residence of the family and in 1558 he commissioned the
works of refinement to Bartolomeo Ammannati
who included large windows in the façade, called inginocchiate,
and created the porticoed courtyard. The construction and
the creation of the great garden, named Boboli from the
homonymous hill, were commissioned to Niccolò Tribolo.
In 1565 the Grand-Duke wanted the construction of a corridor
for the family so they could walk to piazza della Signoria
avoiding dangers of attacks. The project was commissioned
to Vasari. In 1618 the works continued under
the direction of Giulio da Parigi who extended the
building with other two buildings with two floors. There
were further adjustments in 1640 with Alfonso da Parigi
whose direction gave the palace its present length. But
what we can admire today is the result of the following
changes brought on by the Lorena who
completed the façade adding the two lateral "rondò"
which stretch the palace towards the square almost wanting
to embrace it.
It was the Grand-Duke Ferdinando II who had
the halls of entertainment of the summertime residence
decorated, on the ground floor, and of the winter
residence at the first floor for his coming up wedding
with Vittoria della Rovere. Artists of great fame
were summoned such as Giovanni da Sangiovanni and Pietro
da Cortona whose works contributed to render the
palace an absolute royal palace. The last body part added
to the building was the palazzina della Meridiana,
in neo-classical style, commissioned at the end of the
18th century to Gaspare Maria Paoletti and Pasquale
Poccianti by Pietro Leopoldo.
Palazzo Pitti, which through time assumed
different functions, is today the seat of important
museums ( Silvers,
Chinawares, Costumes,
Carriages, Gallery
of Modern Art, Garden of Boboli) through which it is
possible to visit its halls, the displays of the court and
the splendour of a faraway epoch which managed to pass
down faithful and unchanged through history.
Info:
Palazzo Pitti: Piazza Pitti
Closed on Mondays
Admission: £ 8000 the Modern Art Gallery (Galleria d'Arte
Moderna) and the Costume Gallery (Galleria del Costume);
£ 4000 the Museum of Silver (Museo degli Argenti); £
4000 the Museum of Chinaware (Museo delle Porcellane) and
the Boboli Garden (Giardino di Boboli).
Phone: 055/2388710
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MUSEUM
OF THE SILVERS
in Palazzo Pitti
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The
Museum of the Grand ducal Treasure or of the Silvers, occupies the
left wing of Palazzo Pitti, the summertime residence of the Medici
court. Established in the 19th century, it is presently directed by Dr.
Marilena Mosco. The 25 fascinating rooms exhort the visitor to a
careful study of the precious collections. Most of the objects come from
the famous Treasure of Saltsburg, which was brought to Florence by Ferdinando
III di Lorena, while the hard stone vases belong to the collections of
Pietro and Lorenzo de Medici.
The route begins from the Room of Luca Pitti, which hosts 8 Medici busts
and the genealogic tree of the Medici Family. You, therefore, enter the
Room frescoed by Giovanni da San Giovanni.
The third is Lorenzo's Room or the Dark Room, which contains a few
objects, which belonged to Lorenzo de Medici. Through the small
Chapel you enter the three big Rooms of Representation, the only
rooms which were frescoed and used to host the visitors of the Grand-dukes.
Continuing with the Room of the Ivories, which come from the war
spoils consequent to the siege of Coburgo and the Room of Ivories and
Shrines from the chapel of Palazzo Pitti. A secret stairway leads
to the first floor, the heart of the treasure of the Museum: the Rooms of
the Cameos and of the Jewels which belonged to Anna Maria Luisa de
Medici. The two following rooms contain the treasure of Saltsburg.
Through the small Lodge, you reach the Oriental Room and the
Room of the Chinese and Japanese chinaware, which lead you to the Room of
the Donations and the Room of the plaster casts of big silver plates.
Returning to the ground floor you'll find the precious collection of
ambers and, at last, the Room of the Hard stones.
Information:
Museo degli Argenti (Museum of Silvers)
Piazza Pitti
Opening hours: 8:30 am - 1:50 pm
Closing days: Mondays; the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month
Admission: £ 4000
Phone number: 055/2388710, 2388709
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THE
DUOMO AND THE BAPTISTERY
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The
Duomo is the centre of the Florence attraction. It is portrayed in
every postcard, book, painting that advertises Florence. It is
about 8 minutes walk from the station and it stands tall adjacent
to the Baptistery and the Companile. The colour of the two
buildings contrasts giving the frescic image that tells of the
Florentine culture and art. It is by no doubt Brunelleschi's best
work ever and no other architect all over Italy has been able to
match his talent. No other building stands higher than the Duomo
which was first designed in 1294 by Arnolfo di Cambio who died
eight years later leaving the design to a number other architects
who finished designing Arnolfo's dream but could not figure out
how to build such a long dome (142 feet from the ground). Fillippo
Brunelleschi came to the rescue and manage to construct this
marvellous Dome that has become the largest Church in the Catholic
world. If you stand a few metres away from any side of the dome
and look up, the whole structure will seem to be falling on you.
This gives an idea of how high it is.
The exterior is covered in marble walls which are a mixture of
white ( from Carrara), green (from Prato), and red(from Maremma).The
interior is quite bare and cold compared to the warm exterior. The
Duome is one of the capacious churches in the world which once
capacitated a congregation of 10 000 people in one of Savonarola's
preaching about the Renaissance Florence. On the west wall, there
are three stained glass windows designed by Ghiberti and a hube
clock which was decorated with four heads of prophets by Paolo
Uccelo in 1443. On the left Aisle has a pair of memorials of
mercenary commanders (condottieri).
The major work of the Duomo,by size, is the fresco of the 'Last
Judgement' by Vasari. These are painted on the entire roof and
offers a spectacular atmosphere when one climbs the Duomo's roof
top to get the view of the entire city. The Duomo's view cannot
even compare to the Empire State Building's view of the New York
City. Ascending the dome is another incomparable experience for
those still physically fit. Climbing 463 step could be tiring but
is by far not boring since the structure of the dome can be
examined while climbing to the top. When you reach the top you can
see Florence in its beauty while relaxing in the chairs provided.
The Museum of the Duomo (Museo dell' Opera del Duomo) is
located between the baptistery and the campanile and keeps all the
exteriors of the Duomo, Campanile and the Baptistry that needed to
be kept away.
The Baptistery
This is one of the oldest buildings in Florence which was
initially the city's cathedral before the Reparata. The three sets
of guilded bronze doors of the Baptistery were Lorenzo Dhiberti's
and others' way of giving Florence a voice about the deliverance
of plague. These doors have made the building very significant
hence they are worth talking about.
The doors on the north and east are Lorenzo's celebrated works
which show scenes of the Life of the Messiah, the
Evangelists, and the Doctors of the church. The east doors
frames have beautiful statuettes of prophets and Sibyls (women
prophets) and have earned being called "The doors of
Paradise" by the great Michelangelo.This building
illustrates the relationship between Florence and the Rome world
with Rome being the destined land. The interior of this building
is just as beautiful as the exterior. The walls are covered in
marble and ancient Roman columns lay below a blazing mosaic
ceiling. In the centre, there is an empty octagon marking the alta
where children born in the past year were baptised on New Year's
eve. To the right of the altar, there is tomb of the antipope John
XXIII by Donatello and his pupil Michelozzo.
Opening Hours:
Dome: 10:00 - 17:00 , Mon-Sat, 13:00-15:00 Sundays and
Religious Holidays
Church: Times vary according to type of services held.
Baptistery - 13:30 - 18:30 Mon-Sat; 8:30-13:30 Sun,Closed
on Easter Sunday.
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Benvenuto
Cellini, the creator of the Perseus, was trained as
a goldsmith. The beautiful salt-cellar of Francesco I, today in the Kunsthistorisches
Museum in Vienna, is one famous example of his rare and highly refined
compositional immagination, symbolic of an elegant and precious mannerism.
Completed in 1540-43, the salt-cellar shows Cellini's debt to
Florentine sculpture in his adopting of monumental schemes for refined
decorative needs, which he learned from the Fontainebleau school.
Before the Perseus, Cellini experimented with the larger sculptural format
of bronze with the Nymph, today in the Louvre. According to the
critics, however, the real masterpieces of his stylistic and intellectual
virtuosity are the Perseus, created in 1545-54 for the Loggia
dei Lanzi in Piazza della Signoria, and the bust of Cosimo I (today
in the Bargello).
It would be impossible to understand completely the great Perseus
without first analyzing the salt-cellar, since it would not be
apparent that the basic idea of the Perseus-Medusa group was the
realization in clay of a triumph for the table, like the salt-cellar, the
source of its characteristics of elegance and formal refinement.
The preparatory phase of the Perseus, a masterpiece of Florentine
Sixteenth century art, is visible today in two models, one in wax and the
other in gold-plated bronze, both preserved in the Bargello. The goal of
the two models was two-fold, as both a guide to follow in the realization
of the full-scale work and as a model to obtain the approval of the work's
patron, Cosimo I.
The final phase was the pouring of the bronze and Cellini writes in
his famous autobiography (1558-66) that during this phase there were so
many problems and incidents after forcing himself to work for so many
hours that his physical strength "could resist no longer," so
much so that he was stricken with "a fever as great as the world has
never seen."
THE
BOBOLI GARDEN:
tiket
for the Boboli garden in Florence
Let's
start our tour. After entering into the cortile dell'Ammannati
the steps lead to the left. Pass the gate that separates us from the Giardino
di Madama (a garden dedicated to the grand-duchess Giovanna
d'Austria). Here, there is the grotta delle Capre created by Bernardo
Buontalenti. Moving ahead there is a representative statue Giove,
by Baccio Bandinelli,and, two statues of prisoners of the II
century. Then we encounter the small fountain of the so-called Bacchino,
a funny statue, sculpted by Valerio Cioli in 1560, that depicts the
dwarf Morgante on top of a turtle. The dwarf was the joker of
Cosimo the First's court. This statue is a copy. Reasons of conservational
character don't permit the exposition 'en plein air' of this work.
Going down the small street, we arrive in front of a magnificent grotta
del Buontalenti. The architect in 1569 was succeeded to Bartolomeo
Ammannati, under whom the amphitheater was constructed.
Buontalenti had the title of 'engineer of the gardens', he
was the architect of Francesco I Medici and for this family he realized
also the complesso di Pratolino.
The grotta (1583-88) offers to the visitor a vestibule with columns,
that at the ends have two niches that host respectively Cerere and
Apollo, sculpted by Baccio Bandinelli.
The main theme to which the first grotta aspires is the mutation of
matter, the original chaos, the harmony of creatures. In the first grotta
from the magma emerge pastors and their flocks. The iconographic theme is
taken also from the fresco by Bernardino Poccetti. At the four
angles the substitutions of Michelangelo's prisons have substituted
the admirable originals now at the Galleria dell'Accademia.
The
second grotta is placed at the center with the presence of a group in
marble Paride e Elena, created by Vincenzo de' Rossi in
1560. The third environment has at the center a delicious fountain (1570
c.) made by Giambologna, where four satirists insult Venus who,
after leaving the bathroom, looks superior and disinterested.
Turn back towards the amphitheater, a place that was once used for
theatrical shows and feasts. Climbing one can arrive at the fontana del
Nettuno by Stoldo Lorenzi (1565-68). Walking toward the path at
left it is possible to arrive at the Kaffeehaus, pavilion covered
with a dome, realized by Zanobi del Rosso in 1776, under Pietro
Leopoldo di Lorena. On the last step, leaving from the amphitheater,
passing by the fontana di Nettuno, you can admire the great statue
of the Abbondanza, in honor of Giovanna d'Austria, wife of Francesco
I Medici, started by Giambologna in 1608. The statue, was later
completed in 1937 by Pietro Tacca (to be admired, passing by piazza
Santissima Annunziata, are his two fountains) and Sebastiano Salvini.
Turning right you arrive at the Giardino del Cavaliere.
After having climbed the winding staircase, you arrive at the Fontana
delle Scimmie (XVI-XVII century) and at the Casino named "del
cavaliere". The casino was desired by Cosimo III, around the
year 1700, as a relaxing area for his son Gian Gastone. During the
period of Lorenzo this small palazzo was transformed by Giuseppe
del Rosso and since 1973 hosts a porcelain museum. Going down, you
arrive at the Prato dell'Uccellare.
Following ahead, you arrive at the Viottolone. Here you note, at
the beginning, two statues of Heroes in assault. The one on the right is a
copy by Astogitone, of the bronzing group of the Athenian sculptors
Kritios and Nesiotes (477 a. C.). At the central intersection there are
the statue di G. B. Caccini and on the lower right, Ermete con
Dioniso bambino, from the original by Policleto.
Before Piazzale
dell'Isolotto, there's a last group of sculptors: those from the Gioco
del Saccomazzone by Romolo del Tadda and the Pentolaccia
by G. B. Capezzuoli. Under the grand-dukes Cosimo II and Ferdinando
II, Giulio and Alfonso Parigi created, from 1618, the large
elliptical bath with a central island, populating it with statues of
mythological and fantastic figures.
At the center of the island they transported the fontana dell'Oceano
that at the beginning was situated at the center of the amphitheater. It
was realized by Giambologna in 1576, for Francesco I. The original
statue that depicts the Ocean is now at the Museo
del Bargello. The three figures that represent the three rivers, the
Nile, the Ganges and the Euphrates look at each other around the Ocean.
After the Prato delle Colonne, called this for the two columns of
pink granite at the top hold vases of white marble, you arrive at the Rondò
where we observe the Perseo by Vincenzo Danti. Under this is
a roman sarcophagus with the Fatiche di Ercole. Al the end of the
visit we can admire the palazzina della Meridiana that hosts the
gallery of costumes. Arriving at the terrace of the amphitheater, the
visit is concluded. During this trip attention must be given to the century
old plants that make marvelous frames for man's art.
the
dreamed tiket for the Accademia Gallery, the price to see the David of
Michelangelo !
The
architecture of Florence has always been a way to create art. Walking
the city streets it is in fact not rare to bump into its splendid
monumental palazzi. History tells us of the "war" that nobles
and rich merchants waged to build the most imposing and beautiful palazzo,
which gave form to the one of the most charming urban landscapes in the
world. At a distance of centuries it is difficult to judge, but one of the
most beautiful of these palazzi is certainly Palazzo Strozzi.
Property of the INA, today it is possible to visit thanks to the important
exhibits that are held there.
Located between the piazza of the same name and via Tornabuoni, Palazzo
Strozzi is one of the symbols of Renaissance architecture. Its
creation was the idea of Filippo Strozzi "the elder" who
charged Benedetto da Maiano with planning a family residence that would be
the envy of the Florentine nobility. Construction began in 1489 and was
directed by Simone del Pollaiolo, called il Cronaca.
Today the palazzo seems a fortress in the heart of the city. On a
rectangular base there are two floors plus the ground floor, each divided
by linear cornices. One of its principle characteristics is the fidelity
with which the canons of 15th century architecture have been respected in
the realization of the façade: symmetrical and linear, in stone blocks
that are coarse and rough-hewn on the ground floor and become
progressively finer with each higher floor. On the opposite sides, on
piazza Strozzi and via Tornabuoni, the imposing entrances are
surrounded by rectangular windows. The two upper stories are characterized
by two-part windows, whose arch contrasts with the linearity of the
architecture. Inside the arch is the stem of the Strozzi family.
The palace interior first viewed by the courtyard designed by il
Cronaca. With porticos on all four sides, it is enclosed by arches
with stone frames that rest on columns with stylized leaf capitals. On the
ground floor it is also possible to see the splendid surroundings of Sala
Ferri, which contains the Gabinetto Viesseuxand the rich
library of the Institute for Renaissance Studies. The decorations of the
first floor were designed by Pietro Berti and today form the
background for the important exhibits that the Palazzo holds. The first
floor is open only for exhibits, but the ground floor is always open.
Info:
Palazzo Strozzi, Piazza Strozzi
Gabinetto Viesseux ( Sala Ferri) and courtyard
Open Monday-Saturday, 9:30-13:00
Tel. 055/288342
Palazzo
Medici Riccardi is found along the refined and elegant via Cavour.
It's one of the largest and most important renaissance palaces in Florence.
It's dual name is due to a long and articulated story. The first owners
were the Medici. Its construction, in fact, goes back to 1444 and
was strongly desired by Cosimo il Vecchio who hired the admired
project director Michelozzo di Bartolomeo. Only in 1659 it was
acquired by the Riccardi family, that wanted to give it a certain
touch with works of amplification and decorations.
In 1814, the palazzo was acquired by the royal family Lorena that
relegated it to administrative offices. When Florence was the capital of
Italy, it occupied an important role in which it was the seat of the
Internal Ministry. In 1871 it changed hands again, owned by the City of
Florence that, after long works destined it, once again, to administrative
offices. The palace's architecture has all the characteristics of renaissance
canons: linear but imposing prospect, a non-square design, the design
in stone that is large and awkward on the first floor and becomes softer
on higher floors until it becomes flat, the strong frame supported by
decorated shelves.
On the firs floor the facade is occupied by imposing entrance doors,
many of which were walled in time and substituted with large windows. The
perimeter of the palace is lined with stone benches. The facade on upper
floors, divided by linear frames, is surrounded by windows and other
decorations. In the corners of the building there are still placed the coat-of-arms
of the families Medici and Riccardi. The beautiful and important main
frame is held up by shelves that work also as decorations. The insides
are rich and varied.
The first floor offers two beautiful courtyards: the first was
constructed by Michelozzo. The portico rests on Corinthian columns on
which there are the Medicean coat-of-.arms. The second is
practically an outdoor museum. The trees, in fact, are decorative scenery
for the classically styled statues. On the first floor you can enter the Cappella
dei Magi. A vast and refined environment in which a gaze loses itself
among the frescoes and other structures that provoke extraordinary
reactions. The frescoes in the Cappella are by Benozzo Gozzoli and
have been object of a long and involved restoration that has given them
back their great splendor.
From the staircase on the first floor is the entrance to the
offices of the Prefecture and the Provincial Administration. From via dei
Ginori an imposing door that is the entrance to the Biblioteca
Riccardiana named for the collector Riccardo Riccardi, lover of
manuscripts and books about Florence. Palazzo Medici Riccardi, today, is
the seat of the Prefecture and the Province of Florence, and often art
exhibitions.
Info:
Palazzo Medici Riccardi, via Cavour
Cappella dei Magi:
Closed: Wednesday
Hours: 09:00/ 19:00
Entrance: £ 8000
Biblioteca Riccardiana:
Hours: Monday- Saturday 08:00/ 1:45; Thursday, 08:00/ 5:45
Tel. 055/290833
Intended
by Cosimo I around the middle of the 16th century, the Uffizi
Palace was designed by Giorgio Vasari. In order to
realize the project, Vasari had many houses that surrounded the area
demolished. Its construction also included the church of San Pier
Scheraggio, which was reserved to worshipping until 1743. The purpose
of the extraordinary building was to host the thirteen Magistratures or
Uffizi, where the Palace later received its name from, at the time located
in different seats. When Vasari died, the building of the Uffizi Palace
was entrusted to Buontalenti and Alfonso Parigi.
The construction of the Teatro Mediceo, inside the palace, belongs
to Buontalenti. Built for Francesco I in 1586, the Theatre was, afterwards,
destined to other uses: it was, in fact, the seat of the Senate when
Florence was the capital of Italy. In the building, moreover, many
laboratories reserved to artisan and artistic productions were built,
which were reserved to the environments of the palace.
The building has an unusual horseshoe shape: it's formed by two
parallel buildings united by a passageway. The two floors of the building
stand over a portico sustained by two pillars and decorated by niches,
where the statues of Florentines who distinguished themselves from the
Middle Ages until the 19th century are placed.
Today the Uffizi Palace is one of the most important art galleries
in the world: the Uffizi
Gallery. In 1993 the Palace was involved in the bombing attack at the
Accademia dei Gergofili, but in no time it was brought back to its
original splendour.
Info:
Palazzo degli Uffizi, Loggiato degli Uffizi, 6 - (Uffizi Palace, Uffizi
Portico,6)
Opening hours: 08:15 am/ 6:50 pm
Closed on Mondays
For information call: 055/ 23885
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NEPTUNE'S
FOUNTAIN OR "BIANCONE" OF FLORENCE
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It is
not possible to admire many monumental fountains on the streets of
Florence's historical center, but the Fontana del Nettuno,
known also as "Biancone", is surely the most beautiful
and suggestive. It is possible to admire this fountain in Piazza della
Signoria, on the left side of Palazzo Vecchio. The giant in white
marble (from which its nickname, Biancone) represents Neptune, the sea god,
surrounded by tritons, sea divinities and satyrs.
The Fontana del Nettuno, admired also as a sculpture, depicts a
mythological scene that make a great effect upon the spectator: the giant,
in fact, seems to show his power and dominate the piazza coming out of the
waters pulled by the force of four horses. The bronze figures on each side
reproduce the Fluvial Allegories: the oceanic divinity Doride, her
daughter Teti and two sea goddesses flanked by satyrs.
Desired by Cosimo I (it has been said, because of his passion for
the sea), it was commissioned to Bartolomeo Ammannati and to the Giambologna.
According to some historical records the figure of Neptune reproduces the
face of Cosimo I, but it is not certain. The sculptural group owes its
fame to the composite scenography and to the strong material contrast: the
white marble of Neptune and the horses and the bronze of the Allegories.
The monument is one of the symbols of Piazza della Signoria, a rich
and decorated theatre of which it is an important part. A few years ago it
was victim of vandalism, but the minimal damage in no way diminished its
monumental beauty.
Info:
Fontana del Nettuno
Piazza della Signoria
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THE
ANTIQUE TOWN DOORS OF FLORENCE
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In
ancient times Florence was surrounded by the Walls that
enclosed and protected her. The only access ways to the city were the
imposing Town Doors. Stationed in the squares of the city, they are
actual bastions which, today, represent precious monuments that
history has managed to hand down to us and which we offer you in a brief
itinerary.
PortadiSan Miniato: It's the gate that is the furthest from the
historical centre and it can be reached travelling along via San Miniato
from Piazza Poggi. It dates back to the 14th century, but has been
perfectly kept. The communication trench is sustained by arches.
Porta di San Niccolò: Situated in Piazza Poggi, it was a strategic
position for the defence of the city. The structure, very high, was
erected in 1324 on three floors with overlapping arches, communication
trenches and internal stairs. Inside one can see a fresco of the 15th
century of the Madonna, Child and Saints.
Porta San Giorgio: It can be reached from Piazzale Michelangelo,
travelling along via San Leonardo or from the area of Ponte Vecchio,
ascending Costa San Giorgio. It was a part of the antique walls of the
city. Well kept, it presents a bas-relief which features San Giorgio
killing a dragon, it belongs to the 15th century and a fresco of the 15th
century of the Madonna on the throne with the Child and the Saints
Leonardo and Giorgio by Lorenzo Bicci.
Porta San Frediano: It is ascribed to Andrea da Pisano and was
build in 1324 in the circle of the 14 century walls. It still presents the
original doors covered by iron nails and a marble coat of arms of the
Medici Family. It can be reached travelling along via Pisana towards the
Historical Centre.
Porta Romana: Built in 1330 to become a part of the last circle of
the urban walls, it's the largest and best kept gate of the city. It has
maintained the original iron doors and the Medici Family coat of arms and
a marble plaque. It presents the original covered communication trench and
a 15th century fresco. It is located at the end of Viale del Poggio
Imperiale and Viale Galilei and introduces you in via Romana towards the
Historical Centre.
Porta al Prato: It is situated along viale Fratelli Rosselli and
viale Belfiore. It is one of the most antique gates of the city and dates
back to 1285. In 1526 it was lowered; it contains a fresco of the Madonna
with the Child and Saints ascribed to Michele di Ridolfo.
Porta San Gallo: Situated on the viali (driveways) at the level of
Piazza della Libertà, it was built in 1285. It is one of the most antique
gates and it treasures a fresco which represents a Madonna with the Child
and Saints ascribed to Michele di Ridolfo.
Porta alla Croce: It is located in Piazza Beccaria. Little is known
of this gate. Inside you can see a fresco featuring a Madonna with the
Child and the Saints ascribed to Michele di Ridolfo. On one side there's a
memorial plaque for the fallen and a small fountain.
Porta de' Medici: It is situated near the Church of San Salvatore
al Monte on the Piazzale Michelangelo and it treasures a coat of arms of
the Medici Family. Next to it there's la Porta del Soccorso (the Gate of
Rescue) about which nothing is known.
AN
ITINERARY OF ABSOLUTE BEAUTY
Starting
from Florence train station we head towards the Duomo.
Behind which, at no. 9, is the Museo
dell'Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, a museum which contains many
works of art, amongst which many items which originated from the
Battistero, the Duomo and the Campanile. On the first floor, by taking the
first flight of stairs, you arrive at the mezzanine level in front of a
hall where there is the marble statue of the Pietà (1550-c.1553),
which is the second statue of the same subject, completed years after the
first statue was created for San Pietro, found in the Vatican.
From the Duomo, moving on to the Palazzo Vecchio by walking a few
hundred metres along the Via dei Calzaiuoli. On the first floor in the Salone
dei Cinquecento, the production line murals were executed after the
failure of one of Italy's most decorative projects: Lenardo and
Michelangelo were commissioned by Pier Soderini (1512) to paint frescoes
on either side of the hall: to Leonardo, the Battle of Anghiari (1440) and
to Michelangelo, the battle of Cascina (1364), however, these were never
completed. Michelangelo's Genio della Vittoria (Victory), situated
on the centre of the wall facing the entance door, was completed by
between 1533 and1534 for the tomb of Pope Giulio II Della Rovere. This
work of art remained in the artists workshop at via Mozza and was
mentioned in a letter written by Vasari, dated 10th March 1564. It
features the body of a young man, who has killed an old bearded man.
From the Palazzo Vecchio to the Galleria degli Uffizi, which is a
really short journey. In room 25 of the gallery, you can find the only
example of his completed easel painting held in Florence, which can
assuredly be attributed to him. The Tondo Doni or the Sacred
Family with San Giovannino was post-dated to 1506, the date of the
findings at Rome of Laocoonte from which this artist inspired Michelangelo
for the nude pose behind San Guiseppe.
In the Museo
Nazionale del Bargello it is possible to become ecstatic when faced
with four works of art by Michelangelo: Tondo Pitti, a work of art
completed in the same year as the David and the Tondo Doni (approx.
1504); Bacco, one of the artists first roman sculptures,
commissioned by the Banker Jacopo Galli (1496-97); David-Apollo,
with its evocative melancholic spirit and Bruto, completed after
the assassination of Lorenzino Medici, who himself was the killer of the
Duke Alessandro (1536).
Nearby, is the Casa Buonarroti at Via Ghibellina, no. 70 which was
built by his great nephew, Michelangelo il Giovane, in the same
location of three house that the artist bought and lived in between 1516
and 1525. It is a place loaded with artistic and biographic memories in
connection to the artist.
You must visit the Galleria dell'Accademia for the following works
of art: Prigioni, San Matteo, David and Pietà di Palestrina, as well as
the Sagrestia Nuova of the Cappelle Medicee and the scalone
and the vestibolo of the Biblioteca Laurenziana (Library).
The latter are the most famous and renowned works of art held in Florence.
We strongly recommend that this descriptive map is used to deepen the
actual knowledge of this great artist.
 
the
David of Michelangelo in the Galleria dell'Accademia
Info:
MUSEO DELL'OPERA DI SANTA MARIA DEL FIORE
Piazza Duomo, 9
Tel. 055 2302885
Opening hours: Summer 9.00-18.50; Winter. 9.00-18.20
Closed Sunday
Entrance fee Lit. 5.000
Closed due to works
PALAZZO VECCHIO AND DISTRICT MONUMENTS
Piazza Signoria,
Tel. 055 2768325
Opening hours 9.00-19.00
Thursday. 9.00-14.00
Entrance fee Lit.10.000
GALLERIA DEGLI UFFIZI
Loggiato degli Uffizi, 6
Tel. 055 23885
Opening hours 8.30 - 21.00
Sat.8.30 - 24.00
Sun. 8.30 -20.00
Closed Monday
Entrance fee Lit.12.000
SAN LORENZO and Biblioteca Mediceo Laurenziana (Library)
Opening hours 9.00 - 14.00
CAPPELLE MEDICEE
Piazza Madonna degli Aldobrandini
Tel. 055 2388602
Opening hours: from Tuesday to Saturday 8.30 - 17.00
Sunday 8.30 - 13.50
Closed on Monday
Open 1st, 3rd, 5th Sunday and 2nd, 4th Monday of the month
Entrance fee Lit.10.000
GALLERIA DELL'ACCADEMIA
Via Ricasoli, 60
Tel. 055 2388609
Opening hours 8.30 - 21.00
Saturday 8.30 - 24.00
Sunday 8.30 - 20.00
Closed on Monday
Entrance fee Lit.12.000
MUSEO NAZIONALE DEL BARGELLO
Via del Proconsolo, 4
Tel. 055 2388606
Opening hours 8.30 - 13.50
Closed on Monday
Open 2nd, 4th Sunday of the month
1st, 3rd, 5th Monday of the month
Entrance fee Lit. 8.000
CASA BUONARROTI
Via Ghibellina, 70
Tel. 055 241752
Opening hours : 9.30-13.30
Closed Tuesday
Entrance fee Lit. 12.000
Reductions Lit. 8.000
MUSEO
NAZIONALE DEL BARGELLO
This
building was the first monumental public building of the council, which
was the seat of the Podestà, (the chief magistrate) and in the sixteenth
century became a prison (from which it acquired its current name, from the
chief of police, the bargello, which means "sbirro"), and in
1865 a superb collection of sculpture from the Florentine Renaissance and
an assembly of small renaissance bronzes was installed, including works of
art by Michelangelo, Donatello, Cellini and Gianbologna.
The Courtyard
The walls of the courtyard, where executions were once held, are decorated
with the armorial symbol of the Podestà, which held its seat here, and
with sculptures from the sixteenth century, including the
"l'Oceano" by Gianbologna which was once found at the Boboli
gardens. On the ground floor, there are works of art by Michelangelo,
Cellini and Giambologna, including his "Mercurio".
On the first floor in the Salone del Consiglio, characterised by its high
ceiling and which was once the tribunal hall, you can find works by
Donatello, including his famous David in bronze and his St. Giorgio,
carved for and once found on the external walls of the Orsanmichele.
The second floor
There are many glazed terrecotte by della Robbia including the "Busto
di fanciullo" by Andrea della Robbia. There is also an exhibition of
Italian medals and a stupendous collection of small Renaissance bronzes.
The Sala delle Armi contains fascinating medieval ivories and armoury and
weapons.
Opening Hours:
Museum- 8:30-14:00 daily; Closed on the 2nd and 4th Monday AND 1st and 3rd
Sunday of each month.
Location: Via del Proconsolo, Phone: 055-238 8606
In
addition to being roads that connect the various parts of the city, the
bridges of Florence are real works of art in the open air. All of them
have a long and complicated history made up of damage due to the flooding
of the Arno and all of them, with the exception of the symbol of the city,
the Ponte Vecchio, were destroyed by the Germans when they
retreated from the advancing Allied army in 1944. Here is their history.
Ponte Vecchio: It is the most famous bridge of Florence, the symbol
of the city. Renown for the goldsmiths' shops that give it an even more
romantic appearance, it was built in 1345 by Taddeo Gaddi and Neri di
Fioravanti to substitute the ancient Roman bridge that had been destroyed
many times by the flooding of the Arno. Its place in history was made even
more secure when it was the only bridge that the Germans spared in their
1944 retreat. It is made of three arches and hosts a bust of Benvenuto
Cellini by Raffaello Romanelli, and is crossed by Vasari's corridor.
Ponte alle Grazie: This bridge was built in 1957 according to a
plan by Giovanni Michelucci and other important architects to replace the
old Ponte di Rubaconte from 1237, last rebuilt in 1876.
Ponte di San Niccolò: This bridge has a very interesting story. It
was built in 1890 to replace the bridge named after San Ferdinando, which
was from 1835. In 1939, after falling down several times, it was rebuilt
in iron; the bridge we see today was built on a plan by Riccardo Morandi
and completed in 1949.
Ponte da Verrazzano: This bridge was built in 1965 by C. Damerini,
L. Savioli and V. Scalesse and is the newest bridge across the Arno; it
connects the southern part of the city.
Ponte di Santa Trinita: In its long and complex history, this
bridge has seen many collapses due to flooding of the Arno. The wood
original was built in 1252. It was later replaced by one in stone, which
collapsed in 1333. It was then rebuilt by Taddeo Gaddi, but this bridge
too collapsed in 1557. Cosimo I ordered Ammannati to plan a new bridge; at
the four corners are statues of the seasons put into place in 1628. It was
destroyed by the Germans in 1944 and reconstructed in 1952 by R. Gizdulich.
Ponte alla Carraia: The 1218 original was destroyed by a flood in
1274 and was rebuilt, but it collapsed again in 1304 (according to legend,
due to the weight of a crowd that was watching a spectacle). Its
replacement was also destroyed in 1333 and again in 1557. Mommissioned by
Cosimo I, a new bridge was built by Ammannati which lasted until the
German retreat. Today's bridge is from 1948 on a design by E. Fagiuoli.
Ponte alla Vittoria: The original was called Ponte San Leopoldo and
was ordered by Grandduke Leopold. Ruined in 1925, it was replaced by
another which was destroyed by the Germans in 1944. Today's Ponte alla
Vittoria is from 1946.
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DOMENICO
BIGORDI CALLED IL GHIRLANDAIO
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Domenico
Bigordi (1449-94), called the Ghirlandaio because his father,
goldsmith, made ghirlande, or decorative jewelry pieces, for the noble
women of Florence. He became the preferred painter of the families closely
connected to the Medici and the characteristics of his painting can be
reassumed in is sensitive movements like those of Flemish painting and
those of classic models. Let's start our itinerary to discover his
masterpieces.
This itinerary begins from the Church
of Santa Maria Novella, then continues with the Church
of Ognissanti and with Santa
Trinita.
It, therefore, ends with the
Museum of Palazzo Vecchio, the Uffizi Gallery, the Museum of San Marco and
the Gallery of the Spedale degli Innocenti.
To complete the discovery of the works by Domenico Ghirlandaio you must
move out into the surroundings of Florence to the Church of Sant'Andrea at
San Donnino (bus 35) and the Church of Sant'Andrea at Cercina (bus 43).
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