Introduction
Page 2 (Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio, Uffizi)
Page 3 (Duomo, Baptistery, Piazza della Repubblica)
Page 4 (Ponte Vecchio, Pitti Palace, Accademia)
Academia Gallery profile
Page 2 (Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio, Uffizi)
Page 3 (Duomo, Baptistery, Piazza della Repubblica)
Page 4 (Ponte Vecchio, Pitti Palace, Accademia)
Academia Gallery profile
The Pitti PalaceAfter crossing the Ponte Vecchio, I continued a few streets inland to another great museum and historical site: the Palazzo Pitti. This severe and somewhat forbidding looking building sprawls like a fortress along the high ground on the left side of the road.
The Pitti Palace was begun in 1458 by Luca Pitti, a Florentine banker. One of his descendents sold the building to Eleonora di Toledo the wife of Cosimo I de' Medici. Cosimo enlarged the palace and under his son, Ferndinando I, it became the principal residence of the Medici. It continued to be the main palace even after Tuscany passed to the House of Lorraine and then to the House of Savoy. Napoleon used the Pitti Palace during his occupation of Tuscany and it was the residence of the king during the period that Florence was the capital of Italy. |
Over the years, the occupants of the Pitti Palace collected many great works of art. Today, some 500 works by artists such as Raphael, Titian, Correggio and Rubens are in the Palatine Gallery. Also open to view is a Modern Art Gallery, several smaller collections and the 14 room Royal Apartments.
For information on visiting the Pitti Palace click here. Left: After the Pitti Palace came into the
Medici family, Cosimo ordered the constriction of an above ground
passageway that would connect the Pitti Palace to the Palazzo
Vecchio. The Vasari Corridor was completed in just five months and
allowed the Medici to move from one residence to the other without an
escort and without mixing with the common people.
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Galleria AccademiaFlorence's other great art museum is off in the opposite direction. Returning to the Duomo, I walked up the Via Ricasoli a few blocks to the Accadmia Gallery. (This route takes you outside of the pedestrian-only portion of the city so beware of auto traffic).
Founded in 1563 by Cosimo I, the Accademia e Compagnia delle Arti del Disegno was an organization of the working artists of Florence. Michelangelo was a member. In 1748, Grand Duke Pietro Leopldo combined all of the city's artistic academies into the Accademia di Belle Arti, or academy of fine arts. The Academy Gallery was established to provide students with an opportunity to study the works of past masters. The academy is housed in a former convent. Its most famous work is the statue of David by Michelangelo. (See separate profile). |
Above: The Accademia.
Below: Nearby is the Church of San Marco, which contains works by Fra Angelico. |
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Cruise article - Walking Through Florence - Florence, Italy - page 4