The Italians are well known for
being the lackadaisical type of human, and the Medici family, in their entire
splendor, captured that in one single Garden. The Boboli Gardens were designed
in the year 1550 for Cosimo I’s wife, and finished in the mid 18th
century. They were used mainly as the back yard of the infamous Medici family;
however, Victor Emmanuel II took over the palace when Italy was united in the
late 18th century. Upon entering the palazzo I could see a great
gesture of symbolism immediately to my left. The Medici’s designed the entrance
into the park to be like a terrace that over looked most of Florence, but the
center piece of the picture before me was the Duomo. The Medici’s had a huge
hand in the pope’s wars and the battle for territory during the Renaissance, so
it was appropriate to see the Church first before one strolls the lavish
gardens. There is a spectator arena for chariot races as if the Romans lived in
the Palace. This may seem confusing to most, but in reality it was a common
desire of the rich back in the Renaissance – the desire of recreating the glory
of Rome’s splendor! This splendor is rampant throughout the Palazzo, but
especially in the Garden. The statues that adorn the walls and the centerpiece
fountains are all of Roman Gods and Goddesses; there is even an Egyptian obelisk
that sits in the center of the first plateau of the garden! Just a little
history for you, the Romans were notorious for taking every bit of Egypt back
to Rome, because it was their way of reclaiming the past themselves. The Medici
family was only carrying on the tradition.
One has to ask when they enter the
garden, “Where did these people stroll?” This entire green, lavish, perfectly
molded paradise was theirs for centuries, so what happened in the gardens!!
It’s hard for me to sit here and not be curious if I’m sitting where they once
did under this tree that overlooks Neptune’s fountain. One single family that
lived for many centuries, dominated the Italian scene lived here. How cool!
These are the people we only read about and watch movies about, but to sit and
walk where they once did makes me feel as if I’m strolling in their footsteps.
My mind can only wonder back a few hundred years ago, transforming the bustling
tourist into royal guest of one of the most famous families of all time.
If you are in Florence, make the
journey here. Pay the 10-euro to get into this marvelous sanctuary of peace. It
was created to emulate strength, wealth, and the ability to shape nature but
above all, it was created to stimulate peace. The gardens tend to allow the
wind to sing through the vegetations all around, making a symphony that drowns
out the world around. Take a moment to realize the history that is around you,
absorb the past and cherish what a family did centuries ago. You are standing
where they once stood and you are witnessing their power all these years down
the road. With that said, go take a stroll.
