Fiesole

Fiesole is a town and comune of the Province of Florence, located on a scenic height above the city.  Fiesole was probably founded in the eighth or ninth centuries BC, because it was an important part of the Etruscan confederacy, as can be seen in the remains of the ancient walls around the city.  Fiesole was independent for several centuries in the early Middle Ages, and it almost held the same power that Florence did.  However, many wars arose between Florence and Fiesole, and in 1010 and 1025 Fiesole was ransacked by Florentine’s.   Fiesole was then conquered by Florence in 1125, and its leading families began to form residences in Florence as well.  By the 14^th century, wealthy Florentine families had villas in Fiesole. 

Fiesole has many beautiful sights.  Evidence of the Etruscan and Roman settlements can be found in the Area Archeologica, which is located east of main square, Piazza Mino da Fiesole.  It has a well preserved Roman amphitheatre, Roman baths, a Roman temple and some sixth century BC Etruscan ruins.  From the piazza, you can climb Via San Francesco for beautiful panoramic views of Florence below.  The Museo Bandini has ivories, ceramics, and paintings on display, while the church of San Domenico, dating from the 15th century, is home to Madonna with Saints and Angels by Fra Angelico.  The Fiesole Cathedral, a Romanesque structure just off of the main square, is dedicated to Saint Romulus of Fiesole.  It contains a shrine to Saint Romulus, rumored to be the first Bishop of Fiesole. 

At the foot of the hill where Fiesole stands is the Badia or ancient cathedral of St. Romulus.  The Badia was built in 1028 by Bishop Jacopo Bavaro with materials taken from several older structures.  This cathedral is supposed to cover the site of the martyrdom of St. Romulus.  The old cathedral became a Benedictine abbey, which then passed into the hands of the regular canons of Lateran. At one point in its history, it was home to a valuable library, but has long since been dispersed. The abbey was closed in 1778.

The European University Institute also stands on the foot of the hills of Fiesole.  Many of its buildings are historical, notably the Badia and Villa Schifanoia.  Villa Il Poggiolo houses the Historical Archives of the European Union which are attached to the Institute. The Historical Archives conserve and offer access to the original documents of the European institutions. The Archives will have a permanent home in the near future in Villa Salviati, which is another Tuscan landmark.

Our Recommendations

Take city Bus 7 from Piazza San Marco to reach the top of Fiesole.  We highly recommend taking the climb up Via San Francesco for some striking views of Florence.  A ticket for the Area Archeologica, the Museo Civico Archeologica, the Museo Bandini, and the Chapels of San Iacopo costs €6 for students up to 25 years old.  Spend a gorgeous summer day roaming the quiet and clean city, admiring the views and the quaintness of this city, it is truly magnificent. 

Ristorante Perseus is located at Piazza Mino da Fiesole 9.  Fodor’s guide book says that this is one the best places to try out bistecca alla fiorentina.  Bistecca alla fiorentina is a favorite Tuscan dish, which consists of a T-bone or porterhouse steak ,grilled over a wood or charcoal fire, and seasoned with salt and, sometimes, black pepper, and olive oil. Thickly cut and very large, steaks are often shared between two or more persons, and it is served very rare at most restaurants. 

The Ponte Vecchio

The Ponte Vecchio, or Old Bridge, is a Medieval Bridge over the Arno River.  It is the only bridge in Florence to still have shops along it, once occupied by butchers, but presently occupied by jewelers, art dealers, and souvenirs.  The Ponte Vecchio is flanked by Ponte Santa Trinita and Ponte alle Grazie.  

  

The bridge spans the Arno at its narrowest point, and it is believed that the bridge was first built during Roman times. After being destroyed by a flood in 1117, it was reconstructed in stone, and swept away again in 1333.  The bridge was again rebuilt in 1345.  The bridge has always hosted shops and merchants who displayed their goods on tables in front of their premises.  At the end of the sixteenth century Grand Duke Ferdinand I replaced the butchers’ shops with gold and silversmiths, and the trade has prevailed ever since.  The back shops were added in the seventeenth century.  

During World War II, the Ponte Vecchio was not destroyed by Germans during their retreat of August 4, 1944, unlike all of the other bridges in Florence.  This was allegedly because of an express order by Hitler.   The bridge was also severely damaged by the 1966 flood of the Arno River.  The Arno rose so high that a fortune of gold was washed away. 

Along the Ponte Vecchio, there were many padlocks locked to various places, especially to the railing around the statue of Benvenuto Cellini.  Benvenuto Cellini was an Italian goldsmith, sculptor, painter, soldier, and musician.  The padlock tradition was perhaps introduced by the padlock shop owner at the end of the bridge. It is popularly connected to idea of love and lovers: by locking the padlock and throwing the key into the river, the lovers became eternally bonded.

Our Recommendations

Open Bar Golden View (Via dei Bardi 58r) – This restaurant has three dining rooms with enormous windows overlooking the Arno, the Uffizi, the Ponte Vecchio, and the Vasari Corridor.  The restaurant serves traditional Tuscan cuisine with a Mediterranean touch, and a lot of fresh seafood. 

On Via Por Santa Maria, there are many stands outside gelateria’s which serve delicious waffles!  Try a waffle with nutella, gelato, or chocolate, and enjoy!

Santa Maria del Carmine

Florence, has many wonderful chruches. The Church of Santa Maria del Carmine is one of the domed churches on the Oltrarno side of the city. The church is well-known for its Brancacci chapel, with important frescos by the artist Masaccio. Work began on the chapel in 1386 by the artist Masolino da Panicale, who was the artist actually commissioned to paint the chapel. It was his young apprentice Masaccio, who would eventually go on to make quite a name for himself regarding Renaissance artwork, who actually did most of the work. Famous Florentine painter Filippino Lippi also worked on some of the frescos here. These paintings were so important that Michelangelo himself came to this church as a young boy, as did many artists of the time, to study Masaccio’s use of perspective and light. Particular paintings from this fresco, such as The Tribute Money, are frequently studied in general art history classes.

The church itself has a long and interesting history. The church was built in 1268 as part of a convent of the Carmelite order. The convent is still standing today. The original Romanesque-Gothic façade has fallen off, leaving a rough exterior. The complex itself was later done by Brunelleschi in an enlargement of the complex. There is also the Corsini chapel in the church, a chapel that was built by one of Florence’s richest family of the 17th and 18th centuries. The complex has suffered from a number of disasters, including huge fires and devastating floods, but thanks to some good restorations and a little bit of luck much of the great artwork here has been preserved. Entrance to the church is only 4€ and is well worth the visit.

The church is in the Oltrarno part of Florence, which is the more residential section of Florence a bit further from the hustle and bustle of the center of the city around Piazza della Repubblica and the Duomo. The Oltrarno is full of quirky shops, art galleries and artisans workshops. Strolling around the streets of the Oltrarno and poking into random shops is a fun afternoon activity. There are also lots of great places to eat around the church. Trattoria del Carmine, in the Piazza del Carmine (at number 18 red), is an authentic Italian dining experience serving delicious traditional food. The restaurant is an excellent place to try bistecca alla Fiorentina, as it is well-prepared here and relatively modestly priced.

Piazzale Michelangelo

During any visit to Florence one of the spots that definitely should be covered is Piazzale Michelangelo, which holds the high ground over the city from the south bank of the Arno. The square is famous for its views, which you will see printed on postcards and posters throughout the city.

The Piazza was designed by Giuseppe Poggi and was built in the year 1869, making it one of the more recent sights in the city. The square was built as part of the urban renewal of the city that was occurring during the period, as Florence had been made capital of a united Italy and great works of restoration and improvement were instituted throughout the city. Piazzale Michelangelo gains it name from the copy of the David statue, which sits in the middle of the square. This bronze copy which sits on a pedestal, was hauled up to the square by nine set of oxen in 1873, using the new tree lined boulevards that were also constructed as part of the project.
Today, the square is a great place to relax and take in the almost overwhelming panoramic vista of the city. Almost all the major sites of Florence are visible from the overlook, from the Oltrarno district and the Santo Spirito tower on the left, all the way to the Synagogue and the Stadio on the far right. Our recommendation is to visit the square sometime around sunset, when you can get great views of the city with the red glow of the sun enhancing the red tile roofs in addition to lighting up the Arno. Then, stay until nightfall to watch the city lights come on. You will be hard pressed to find a more amazing place to relax and enjoy la dolce vita.

The Piazza is not by itself on top of the hill however, and we encourage you to explore around this unique area. One of the spots worth visiting is San Miniato al Monte which is a basilica only a short walk uphill from the square. Construction on this Romanesque church began in the 11th Century, while frescoes and cloisters were added on as late as the 15th Century. The interior of the church is very different than the other churches you may have seen while in Florence, as this is not a Renaissance design. A trussed and coffered ceiling is the first thing that you will notice, as this is a style not seen elsewhere in Florence. Another unique feature is that the choir is raised above a large crypt, whose entrance is basically at ground level. The apse of the church is decorated by an enormous mosaic from the 13th Century, while the center of the nave is home to the Cappella del Crocefisso or Chapel of the Crucifix, which was designed by Michelozzo in 1448. The church also offers additional spectacular views of the city, and is definitely worth the short climb up the stairs for a visit.
Our Tips
• Getting to Piazzale Michelangelo can be done in several different ways. You can walk up either of the tree lined roads leading from either Piazza Ferrucci or Porta Romana. This is a pleasant, uphill walk that will get you out of the bustle of the city relatively quickly. Other ways of ascent are the stairs that climb from below the square, or by taking the bus. Bus number 13 from the Piazza Ferrucci side or number 12 from the Porta Romana side will get you to the square.
• Once up at the square, there are some souvenir shops and some snack carts around, so bring some change!

Uffizi Gallery

The Uffizi Gallery is one of the most famous art museums in the world. It is home to some of the best examples of Italian Renaissance painting and sculpture, but artists from all over Europe are also represented here. Construction was started in 1560 by Giorgio Vasari (and finished in 1581 by Alfonso Parigi and Bernardo Buontalenti) under the reign of Cosimo I de’ Medici, the first of the Medici Grand Dukes of Tuscany, as the offices of the Florentine government. This heritage is still evident today, as ‘uffizi’ is the word for ‘offices’ in Italian. The offices are connected to Palazzo Pitti, which was the home of the Medici royal family, by the ‘Vasari Corridor’ – a hallway leading from Palazzo Vecchio, through the Uffizi, over a loggia on the bank of the Arno, across the river on the Ponte Vecchio and through two blocks of Florentine houses to the Palazzo. The corridor was built so that the Medici could commute from their house to their seat of government without having to walk on the streets and face the people.

The building began to be used as a display for artworks while it was still in use by the Medici as their offices. The office space was frequently home to a number of artworks purchased by or commissioned by the family, and artists such as Michelangelo frequently came to the Uffizi to be inspired. After the royal Medici house was extinguished, the building immediately became a museum and is actually considered one of the first modern museums in the world. The Uffizi has been open to visitors (by request) since the 1500s, but became open to the public as a museum in 1765. Over the years, as the museum has grown in size, many pieces of the collection have been transferred to other museums (such as a number of sculptures to the Bargello). In 1993, the Uffizi was the victim of a bombing. A car exploded on a nearby street, killing five people and damaging parts of the palace. The most serious damage was done to the Niobe room, which has since been restored although some works of art have been damaged beyond repair. The bombers were never caught, although the crime is frequently attributed to the Sicilian Mafia.

Today the building houses a number of important, and famous, works. The best known paintings are two works by Botticelli: Primavera and The Birth of Venus. But there are a number of other famous and well-known artists represented here, including Giotto, da Vinci, Michelangelo, Titian, Raphael and Caravaggio, to name a few. There are also some important works in portraiture that you might recognize from your art history classes. The museum can be a little bit overwhelming, and if you are not a big fan of Renaissance art. After while, it gets to be a lot of pictures of Jesus and figures of Renaissance history who you may not know. Even if Renaissance art is not your favorite, it is still worth a quick tour through the museum – take a quick glance at some of the paintings and sculptures in a few of the rooms, definitely check out the works by Botticelli, and then head on up to the Uffizi’s café. The café is on top of the Loggia in Piazza della Signoria and it offers an up-close view of Palazzo Vecchio as well as a good view of the square below and the Duomo in the distance. There are also excellent views down the Arno River from the windows inside the gallery space. Entrance to the Uffizi museum can be rather expensive. The line to get into the Uffizi can also be rather long, but reservations can be made for an additional 4 euros. If you are interested in going to a bunch of Florence’s museum, perhaps multiple times, then the Friends of the Uffizi card may be of interest to you. Costing 40 euros for students, it is good for one full calendar year and allows unlimited access to the state museums.

If you can’t make it into the gallery, at least walk through the courtyard. The courtyard itself is very aesthetically pleasing, connecting Palazzo Vecchio to the Arno River, and is lined with sculptures of some of the most famous Italian artists such as Michelangelo and Donatello. It is a fun place to at least snap some pictures and hang out for awhile. The courtyard is a space that is frequently used by various street performers as a space to play music or act as ‘living statues’. Street vendors also frequently hang out around here and will sell trinkets to tourists for generally rip-off prices.

Right near the Uffizi, up by the river on the street where the exit to the gallery is, is the History of Science museum. If you are a science buff, then this museum might be of interest to you. They have some interesting exhibits and collections, including telescopes used by famous Italian scientist Galileo Galilei. They even have his middle finger, taken from his tomb at Santa Croce, on display here. If going to more museums is not on your list of things to do and you are ready for a snack instead, head on up Via de’ Neri. The street connects to Santa Croce, and there is an excellent gelateria and bakery there that shares its name with the street. The gelato is exceptionally tasty, but they also sell other tasty Italian treats such as cannoli, panna cotta and millefoglie.

The Basilica di Santa Maria del Santo Spirito

The Basilica of Santa Maria del Santo Spirito, Saint Mary of Holy spirit, is one the main churches in Florence, and the last church designed by Filippo Brunelleschi.  The church is often referred to as Santo Spirito, and is located in the Oltrarno quarter, facing Piazza Santo Spirito.  The building on the interior is one of the pre-eminent examples of Renaissance architecture, and was constructed over the pre-existing ruins of an Augustinian convent from the 13^th century, destroyed by a fire.  Brunelleschi began designs for the new building as early as 1428, and after his death in 1446, the works were carried on by his followers Antonio Manetti, Giovanni da Gaiole, and Salvi d’Andrea.  Salvi d’Andrea was also responsible for the construction of the cupola.  Unlike the Basilica di San Lorenzo, where Brunelleschi’s ideas were thwarted, in Santo Spirito, his ideas were carried through with a degree of loyalty.  

The façade that Brunelleschi had planned was never built and left blank.  Today, the church’s most notable feature is the simple façade, now an emblem for the Oltrarno district.  In 1489, Simone del Pollaiolo and Giuliano da Sangallo designed an octagonal sacristy, known as Il Cronaca, built to the left of the building.  

The church has 38 side chapels, which contain a noteworthy amount of artwork.  The most worth mentioning is the Bini-Capponi Chapel, which houses the St. Monica Establishing the Rule of the Augustinian Nuns painting by Francesco Botticini.  In the chapels of the transept are frescoes by Filippino Lippi.  Also in the transept is a choir from which Frescobaldi Marquisses could participate to the rites without being seen by the crowd.  

When Michelangelo Buonarroti was 17 years old, he conducted anatomical studies on the corpses coming from the convent’s hospital.  In exchange, he sculpted a wooden crucifix which was placed over the high altar.  Today, the crucifix is in the octagonal sacristy that can be reached from the left, west aisle of the church.  The convent had two cloisters, called Chiostro dei Morti  and Choistro Grande (‘Cloister of the Dead’ and ‘Grand Cloister’).  The first takes its name from the great number of tombstones decorating its walls, and was built around 1600.  The latter was constructed in 1564-1569 by Bartolomeo Ammannati in a classicistic style. 

Santo Spirito is located directly in front of Piazza Santo Spirito.  The square was created in the 13th century for the main purpose of serving the crowds who attended the prayers of the Augustinians.  The square has a statue of Cosimo Ridolfi, founder of the L'Georgofili Academy, and a fountain dating back to 1812.  The square is home to a flea market on the second Sunday of every month, and a small daily market, with vendors selling fruit, vegetables, clothes, and flowers.  The square also has many restaurants and caffe's, and the stairs of the church of Santo Spirito is home to many eclectic Florentine's at night.  Each night in the Piazza, people sit, talk, drink wine and beer, and play numerous variations of instruments.  We recommend joining the crowds for an authentic Italian experience! 

Our Recommendations

Most of our recommendations have already been mentioned previously in the blog.  Therefore, we will list what establishments that we think are worth visiting, and take a look at the previous entries for details!

• Caffe Ricchi
• The 'Gusta Empire' - Gusta Pizza, Gusta Panino, and Gusta Osteria
• Mama's Bakery
• Trattoria Casalinga
• Osteria: Il Cantinone
• Osteria Santo Spirito - check out their cheesy gnocchi! 

Wine Culture in Tuscany

In Italy, the yearly per capita rate of alcohol consumption has long been declining, but family expenditures on alcohol still reach into 2% of the family budget.  Wine pervades most spheres of life, consisting as a large part of the Italian culture.  If someone is said to drink, then they are assumed to be a heavy drinker in Italy.  Wine is considered nourishment to the Italians, and was often a supplement to the diet of the lower classes that needed additional calories, which were provided by the wine.  Wine is considered to be a regular part of every day life, so no special circumstances are needed to bring this drink out. 

The early history of Chianti is intertwined with the history of the entire Tuscany region.  The history of viticulture (the science, production, and study of grapes) in Tuscany dates back to the settlements by the Etruscans in the eighth century BC.  From the fall of the Roman Empire and throughout the Middle Ages, monasteries were the main purveyors of wines in the region.  As the aristocratic and merchant classes emerged, they inherited the sharecropping system of agriculture, whereby the landowner provides the land and resources for planting in exchange for half of the yearly crop.  Many landowners in the Chianti region would turn half of their grape harvest into wine they would be sold to the merchants in Florence.  During the Renaissance, the city of Florence experienced a period of growth that brought with it an emerging middle class of craftsmen and merchants.  Some of these merchants, such as the Antinoris and Frescobaldis, would become powerful and influential figures in not only the history of Chianti but also of Italian wine.

The earliest example of Chianti was a pale, light wine, which was sold by the merchant Francesco di Marco Datini in 1398.  It has eventually evolved into a course, deep color red wine.  The 18^th century saw the seeds of the modern Chianti industry being planted.  In 1716, Cosimo III de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, issued an edict delineating the boundaries that would eventually become the heart of the Chianti Classico region.  The edict declared that the three villages of the Lega del Chianti (Castellina, Gaiole and Radda) as well as the village of Greve and a 2 mile hillside north of Greve near Spedaluzza as the only officially recognized producers of Chianti. This delineation existed until July 1932, when the Italian government expanded the Chianti zone to include the outlying areas of Barberino Val d'Elsa, Chiocchio, Robbiano, San Casciano in Val di Pesa and Strada.  In 1984 the Chianti Classico and the greater Chianti region were separated, the boundaries covered an area of approximate 100 square miles between Florence to the north and Siena to the south.

Following World War II, the general trend in the world wine market for cheap, easy drinking wine saw a brief boom for the Chianti region.  By the late 20^th century, Chianti was often associated with basic mass-market Chianti.  At the same time, an ambitious producer began working outside the boundaries of the protected designation of origin (DOC) status to make a higher quality style of Chianti.  These wines eventually became known as “Super Tuscans.”  Piero Antinori was one of the first to create a "Chianti-style" wine that ignored the DOC regulations, releasing a 1971 Sangiovese-Cabernet Sauvignon blend known as Tignanello in 1978. Other producers followed suit and soon the prices for these Super Tuscans were consistently beating the prices of some of most well known Chianti.  The new wave of winemaking during the era of Super Tuscan also reinvigorated the Chianti's region with modern viticultural vine training and canopy management techniques and winemaking tools such as the use of new oak barrels. This new area of innovation lead to a sharp increase in the price of Chiantis to where the wine from many of the top houses now match the prices of the premium Super Tuscans.

Located in the central region of Tuscany, the Chianti zone is Tuscanys' largest classified wine region and produces over eight million cases a year. In addition to producing the well known red Chianti wine, the Chianti zone also produces white, other Rosso reds and Vin Santo. The region is split into two DOCG- Chianti and Chianti Classico. The Chianti Classico zone covers the area between Florence and Siena, which is the original Chianti region, and where some of the best expressions of Chianti wine are produced. The larger Chianti DOCG zone is further divided in six DOC sub-zones and areas in the western part of the province of Pisa, the Florentine hills north of Chianti Classico in the province of Florence, the Siena hills south of the city in the province of Siena, the province of Arezzo and the area around the communes of Rufina and Pistoia.

Our Recommendations

Cantinetta Antinori (Piazza Antinori 3, 055-292-234)  - The Antinori marchesi started their wine empire 26 generations ago, and, installed a wine bar in their 15th-century palazzo 30 years ago.  Their wine selection is vast, and primi piatti cost between €10 and €16. Reservations are strong recommended!

Osteria Tornabuoni (Via de Corsi 5r) – Primi piatti range in price from €10-€15, and glasses of wine cost €4-€7.   The Osteria only serves Tuscan dishes, and offers a wine-list made up of exclusively Tuscan labels, where the only exceptions are some great Champagnes produced by small wineries and some selected home brews. The wine-list features more than 200 labels, with evident priority to Chianti Classico, Montalcino, Bolgheri and Montepulciano.  Every day, there is a choice of 15 different wines by the glass.  

Frescobaldi Wine Bar (Via dei Magazzini 2-4r, 055-284-724) – The Frescobaldi Wine Bar offers guests wine by the glass, whether they wish to stand at the bar or relax at tables inside or outside. Tasters may pair their wines with a range of tapas and with a rich assortment of traditional cheeses and cured meats.  Wine by the glass ranges from €4-€15.  

Il Santino (Via Santo Spirito 60r  - 055 211264) – While Il Santino is a very small establishment, located to its partner restaurant Il Santo Bevitore, the wine list at Il Santino is extensive, and the ambiance is great.  Come for a glass of wine and cheese plate, and enjoy!

 

Le Volpi e L’Uva (Piazza dei Rossi 1 - 055.239.8132) – This wine bar was ranked as one of Europe’s Wine Bars by Travel + Leisure. “When Florence’s top sommeliers want to learn about wine trends, they claim a stool behind the horseshoe-shaped counter at this enoteca.  That’s because the wine bar’s passionate owners keep ahead of the curve by crisscrossing Italy in search of emerging producers.  Their chalkboard list of some 40 mostly Italian wines by the glass changes weekly and features their discoveries.”  Dinner for two costs around $33.  

The Costume Gallery

The Museo del Costume in Palazzo Pitti features rotating exhibitions of clothing from the 18^th to mid-20^th centuries.  It is located in Palazzina della Meridiana in the south wing of the Palazzo.  The Costume Gallery is one of the newer collections to Palazzo Pitti, founded in 1983 by Kristen Aschengreen Piacenti.  The Gallery spreads over the 14 rooms of the Meridiana apartments, which were completed in 1858.  These rooms have a wonderful view of the Boboli Gardens in the rear of Palazzo Pitti.  In addition to theatrical costumes, the gallery displays garments worn between the 18th century and the mid-19^th century.  Some of the exhibits are unique to Palazzo Pitti; these include the 16th-century funeral clothes of Grand Duke Cosimo I de' Medici, and Eleonora of Toledo and her son Garzia, both of whom died of malaria.  The gallery also exhibits a collection of mid-20th century costume jewelry.  There are about 6000 costumes and accessories on exhibit, displayed on mannequins that are designed to show characters, styles and sizes of various ages.  The collection also shows the ability of master tailors to satisfy the needs of different moments and events in history: from the rich and worldly dress that enlivened that 18th century to the sober affairs of the 1900's during the Wars.  The collections of the Costume Gallery also include a group of about ninety theatre costumes belonging to the Sartoria Tirelli, which were given to the museum together with a large number of historical clothes by Umberto Tirelli.

The Museo del Costume is the only museum of the history of fashion in Italy and one of the most important in the world.  A selection is exhibited in rotation every two years.  The decision to change the displayed clothes every two years was initiated from the need of guaranteeing their preservation, but also offers the opportunity of displaying the garments preserved in the depository, mostly from private donors.  The Meridiana building, close to the gallery, is also the location of a fabric restoration laboratory.  There are frequent special exhibitions devoted to particular aspects of the collection.  A full price ticket for the Costume Gallery, the Boboli Gardens, the Silver Museum, the Porcelain Museum, and the Bardini Gardens costs €7.

The Gallery of Modern Art

While the Gallery of Modern Art, located in Palazzo Pitti, is defined as “modern,” all of the art located in this collection cover the period from 1400s to the 1700s.  In Italy, modern art refers to the period before the 1700s, and the art after the 18^th century is called contemporary art.  The gallery originated from the remodeling of the Florentine academy in 1784, when the Gallery of Modern Art was established.  The gallery was at first intended to display the works of art which were prize-winners in the academy’s competitions.  At the same time, Palazzo Pitti was being redecorated, so new works of art were added to the collection in the newly decorated salons.  By the mid-19^th century, the Grand Ducal collection of modern art had become so large, that many were transferred to Palazzo della Crocetta, which became the first home of the newly formed “Modern Art Museum.” 

After the Risorgimento, and the expulsion of the Grand Ducal family from Palazzo Pitti, all the works of modern art were brought together in the newly titled “Modern Gallery of the Academy.”  The collection continued to enlarge, especially under the rule of Vittorio Emanuele II.  The gallery was not moved to Palazzo Pitti until 1922, where it was then complemented by more works of modern art owned by the state and the municipality of Florence.  The collection was located in the apartments of the recently vacated members of the Italian Royal family, and was first opened to the public in 1928. 

Today, the collection is now located in 30 rooms, including works by artists of the Macchiaioli movement and other modern Italian schools of the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries.  The pictures by the artists of the Macchiaioli movement are of particular importance because these 19^th century Tuscan painters were early pioneers and the founders of the Italian impressionist movement.  The elegant rooms, which were formerly inhabited by the Lorraine Grand Dukes are also decorated with works of the neo-classical and romantic periods.  The thirty rooms of the Gallery have recently been reorganized, according to chronological criteria.  The rooms on the second floor have been restored, but the decoration, upholstering and furniture of the Lorraine period have been maintained. The itinerary begins with both neoclassic works like the "Oath of the Saxons to Napoleon" by Pietro Benvenuti and romantic works like the grandiose "Entry of Charles VIII" by Giuseppe Bezzuoli or "The two Foscari" by Francesco Hayez.

Tickets to the Galleria d’Arte Moderna cost €8.50, which also includes a visit to the Palatine Gallery.  The Gallery is located on the second floor of Palazzo Pitti.   

Palatine Gallery and Royal Apartments

     During your visit to Palazzo Pitti, one of the museums that you should really explore is the Palatine Gallery, which is home a large collection of Renaissance and Baroque paintings. The museum was originally a gallery organized by the Medici to further display their wealth, as all of the art that they had collected could no longer fit into the Galleria degli Uffizi located across the river. Unlike the Uffizi however, the paintings are not displayed by time period or region, but rather are shown as they would have been while the nobility was living in the household. This makes the display unique in that you can see how the rooms would have looked like in the days when the Dukes of Tuscany still called Palazzo Pitti home.

During the time of the Medici family, the rooms that comprise the Palatine Gallery were the apartments of the Grand Duke and his audience rooms. They are partially covered in frescos created by Pietro da Cortona (1596-1669) which form a representative example of Florentine Baroque, and pleasant backdrop for the paintings in the Gallery which are from the 16th to the 17th centuries. The Gallery, which also extends into the Royal Apartments, contains works by Raphael, Titian, Rubens, and Pietro da Cortona.
The Royal Apartments are the second part of the tour and comprise 14 rooms, formerly used by the Medici family and their successors. These rooms have been altered over time depending on the tastes of the ruling family and the popular styles of the time. For that reason, a variety of styles can be seen with layouts in the different rooms from different eras. The layout of the rooms has been constant since the time of Grand Prince Ferdinando dei Medici who lived in the Palazzo Pitti until his death in 1713. When Italy was united in the mid-19th Century, Florence for a short time became the capital of Italy and subsequently Palazzo Pitti became the home of the Italian royal family, with its head King Victor Emanuel II of Savoy. The décor of the throne room comes from this period, and does not date back to the Medici era. The royal family continued to use the rooms in the Palazzo until 1919 when King Victor Emmanuel III, the grandson of Emanuel II, gave the palace to the nation, becoming the museums we see today.

Practical Information:
• One ticket gains entrance to the Royal Apartments, the Palatine Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art, but the ticket is only good for the day so budget yourself enough time to see everything!
• When buying a ticket at Palazzo Pitti you will be able to choose option A or B. Ticket A will include Royal Apartments, the Palatine Gallery and the Modern Art Museum while B will gain entrance to the Boboli Gardens, Silver Museum, Costume Gallery, Porcelain Museum, and the Bardini Gardens. Pick one and don’t look back! There is plenty to see with either ticket.
• There is a security check to get into the palace including a metal detector, which can cause a line to form, especially if a tour group is entering all at once.
• For tips on where to eat around Palazzo Pitti, see our other posts!

Boboli Gardens

The Boboli gardens are directly behind the Palazzo Pitti and are sort-of the major park of the center of Florence, covering eleven acres of land. They are a great place for a leisurely stroll, offering fantastic sweeping views of the Florentine skyline from multiple points within the gardens. On a nice day you can see locals soaking up the sun on some of the various lawns and open spaces scattered throughout. In the fall you can run and jump in the leaves that have fallen from the surrounding trees. The gardens are a great place to come and relax, enjoy a bit of nature, and get away from all the stone and hustle of the city outside the Palazzo gates. The gardens extend from the Fort of the Belvedere and the adjacent Bardini Gardens to the north (in fact some of the garden walls are shared with the fort) and the Porta Romana (one of the old doors through the original city walls) on the south end.

The gardens once belonged to the Medici family, when they lived in the Palazzo Pitti as Grand Dukes of Tuscany. They are formal, 16th-century gardens, which is a style that focuses on wide gravel avenues, long stretches of grass, greenery and statuary. In keeping with the Medici tradition of being patrons of the arts, the garden is home to a number of important statues and fountains that represent the height of 16th century sculpture. Directly behind the Palazzo, and heading up the hill, is the Fountain of Neptune (different from the one outside Palazzo Vecchio). Also here is a small pond with a sculptured island in it, called Island Fountain, further down the axis of the gardens. There are a number of other sculptures and fountains to run into and discover. The Mostaccini fountain is particularly delightful, and the famous statue of a naked and fat Bacchus riding on a turtle is also here (just by the main exit of the gardens back into the courtyard of Palazzo Pitti). If traditional statues are not your favorite, the gardens also have a few modern sculptures in place all around the grounds. It is fun to just wander around and bump into a new statue at every turn.

There are not many flowers in the Boboli Gardens, as that would not be in keeping with the 16th-century style, but some flower beds can be found outside the Porcelain Museum (which is inside the garden grounds). The Porcelain Museums houses a collection of a number of different fine serving pieces owned by the Medici royal family. Also of interest in the grounds are the Medici grottoes, which are a sort of artificial cave decorated with face stalactites and artworks. There are two grottoes, both nearby the exit to the Palazzo Courtyard. The larger of the two, the Buontalenti Grotto, is down the same pathway as the Bacchus fountain. The other grotto, the Grotto of Madama, is a little bit more off the beaten path but maps of the gardens will locate it for you. Both of the grottoes were started by famous artist and art historian Giorgio Vasari. You cannot go inside the grottoes, but they are certainly worth a look as they are very different from anything else within the gardens.

A ticket can be purchased at the main ticket desk and will cost 10€ for the combined ticket number two (which also includes the Silver Museum, the Bardini Gardens, the Costume Gallery and the Porcelain Museum), but entry is free to those that hold the Friends of the Uffizi card. After a day at the gardens and in the Palace, stop by Pitti Gola and Cantina, a small wine bar across the square from the Palazzo that serves excellent wine in addition to small plates of antipasti such as cheese and bruschetta. Also nearby, a few blocks up the street, is the famous Ponte Vecchio. A stroll across the bridge, looking at all the glittering jewelry for sale there and getting a good look at both sides of the Arno River, is worth the time.

Palazzo Pitti

Palazzo Pitti is situated on the south side of the River Arno, a short distance from the Ponte Vecchio.  The construction of the building was commissioned in 1458 by Luca Pitti, a supporter and friend of Cosimo de' Medici.  The early history of the Palazzo Pitti is surrounded by both fact and fiction. The 16th-century art historian Giorgio Vasari proposed that Brunelleschi was the Palazzo's architect, and that his student Luca Fancelli was an assistant but today it is Fancelli that is generally credited.  Besides obvious differences from Brunelleschi’s style, he died 12 years before construction of the Palazzo began.  Work stopped after Pitti suffered financial losses following the death of Cosimo de' Medici in 1464.  Luca Pitti died in 1472 with the building unfinished.  

The building was then sold in 1549 by Buonaccorso Pitti, a descendant of Luca Pitti, to Eleonora di Toledo.  Eleonora was the wife of Cosimo I de' Medici of Tuscany, later the Grand Duke.  Cosimo had Giorgio Vasari enlarge the structure to fit his tastes - the palace was more than doubled.  Vasari also built the Vasari Corridor, an above-ground walkway from Cosimo's old palace and the seat of government, Palazzo Vecchio, through the Uffizi, above the Ponte Vecchio to Palazzo Pitti.  This enabled the Grand Duke and his family to move easily and safely from their official residence to Palazzo Pitti.  Initially Palazzo Pitti was used mostly for housing official guests and for infrequent affairs of the court, while the Medici’s principal residence remained in Palazzo Vecchio.  It was not until the reign of Eleonora's son Ferdinando I and his wife Cristina of Lorraine, that the palazzo was occupied on a permanent basis and became home to the Medici’s art collection.  Land on the Boboli hill at the rear of the palazzo was acquired in order to create a large formal park and gardens, today known as the Boboli Gardens.

The palazzo remained the principal Medici residence until the last male Medici heir died in 1737. It was then occupied briefly by his sister, the elderly Electress Palatine; on her death, the Medici dynasty became extinct and the palazzo passed to the new Grand Dukes of Tuscany, the Austrian House of Lorraine.  The Austrian reign was briefly interrupted by Napoleon, who used the palazzo during his period of control over Italy. 

When Tuscany passed from the House of Lorraine to the House of Savoy in 1860, Palazzo Pitti was included.  After the Risorgimento, when Florence was briefly the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, Victor Emmanuel II resided in the palazzo until 1871.  His grandson, Victor Emmanuel III, presented the palazzo to the nation in 1919.  The palazzo and other buildings in the Boboli Gardens were then divided into five separate art galleries and a museum, housing not only many of its original contents, but priceless artifacts from many other collections acquired by the state. The 140 rooms open to the public are part of an interior, mostly created in two phases, one in the 17th century and the other in the early 18th century.  Today, Palazzo Pitti and the surrounding Boboli Gardens house the Palatine Gallery, the Royal Apartments, the Gallery of Modern Art, the Silver Museum, the Porcelain Museum, the Costume Gallery, and the Carriages Museum. 

The Galleria Palatina is the main collection.  It is strong on 16^th century works, and is located in a wing of the main palace.  The Galleria d’Arte Moderna consists of works spanning the mid-18^th to mid-20^th centuries.  I tis located in the main building on the floor above the Palatina.  The Museo degli Argenti (The Silver Museum) contains objects, gold and jewelry from the Medici collections.  You can access the Silver Museum from the main courtyard.  The Museo del Costume contains rotating exhibitions of clothing from the 18^th to mid-20^th centuries.  It is located in Palazzina Meridiana in the south wing.  The Museo delle Porcellane contains French, Italian, German, and Viennese porcelain and ceramics.  It is located in a pavilion at the top of the Giardino di Boboli.  The Appartamenti Reali are the lavishly decorated state apartments following on from the Palatina.  The Museo delle Carozze is closed at the present.    

Our Recommendations

Pitti Gola e Cantina is located directly across from Palazzo Pitti.  This small wine bar offers appetizers and snacks with their large selection of Tuscan wines by the glass or by the bottle. The owners are knowledgeable and friendly, and the food is great.  Glasses of wine range in price from €5 - €8, small appetizers cost around €5, and large appetizer plates cost around €10 euro. 

Pitti Vintage, located at Sdrucciolo dei Pitti 19/R, a small side across the street from Palazzo Pitti, one can find Italian and European designer vintage clothes, along with other one-of-a-kind vintage pieces.  Check it out!