Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
San Giovanni
, which sports head-to-toe frescoes celebrating the life of Lorenzo the
Magnificent - spot Michelangelo giving Lorenzo a statue.
Galleria d'Arte Moderna
By modern, the Pitti's powers-that-be mean 18th and 19th century (again, go figure). So
forget about Marini, Mertz or Clemente - the collection of this 2nd-floor gallery is dom-
inated by late-19th-century works by artists of the Florentine Macchiaioli school (the loc-
al equivalent of Impressionism), including Telemaco Signorini (1835-1901) and Gio-
vanni Fattori (1825-1908).
Galleria del Costume
The costume gallery features an absolutely fascinating, if somewhat macabre, display of
the semidecomposed burial clothes of Cosimo I, his wife Eleonora di Toledo and their
son Don Garzia. Considering the fact that they were buried for centuries, Eleanora's
gown and silk stockings are remarkably preserved, as are Cosimo's satin doublet and
wool breeches and Garzia's doublet, beret and short cape.
Appartamenti Reali
Accessed through the Galleria Palatina, these rooms are presented as they were c
1880-91 when the palace was occupied by members of the House of Savoy. The style
and division of tasks assigned to each space is reminiscent of Spanish royal palaces, and
all are heavily bedecked with drapes, silk and chandeliers.
Galleria Palatina
This gallery, the palace's main attraction, houses an extraordinary collection of 16th- to
18th-century art amassed by the Medici and Lorraine grand dukes. The original arrange-
ment of paintings (squeezed in, often on top of each other) has been retained and can be
visually overwhelming - go slow and focus on the works one by one.
Tondo Bartolini
The gallery's highlights are found in a series of reception chambers dating from the Na-
poleonic period and decorated in the Neoclassical style. In the
Sala di Prometeo
is Fra'
Filippo Lippi's
Madonna and Child with Stories from the Life of St Anne
(aka the
Tondo
Bartolini;
1452-53), one of the artist's major works.
