A journey through the places of the Renaissance, surrounded by art, power and beauty
Florence is inextricably linked to the figure of Cosimo I: born on June 12 1519, the son of Giovanni delle Bande Nere - of the cadet branch of the Medici family - and Maria Salviati - of the main branch. Cosimo made Florence the symbol of his political power. During the more than thirty years of his rule, he succeeded in transforming the city into a true workshop of ideas, also thanks to his cultural and architectural ambitions.
Let's discover together some of the most important places linked to one of the protagonists of the Florentine Renaissance who, with his foresight, made Florence immortal.
The first stop on this Renaissance itinerary is Palazzo Medici Riccardi, commissioned by Cosimo the Elder to Michelozzo around 1444.
The palace was the first official residence of the Medici family and soon became the symbol of their ascent.
Don't miss the frescoed hall known as the Galleria degli Specchi (Gallery of Mirrors) and the Cappella dei Magi (Magi Chapel), famous for the presence of the masterpiece by Benozzo Gozzoli (1459), who decorated its walls with the depiction of the Cavalcata dei Re Magi (Procession of the Three Wise Men) In keeping with tradition, in the faces of the characters, you can see similarities with some of the most influential members of the Medici family of the time.
Filippo Lippi's Madonna and Child is one of the most famous works of art inside the palace.
The first stop on this Renaissance itinerary is Palazzo Medici Riccardi, commissioned by Cosimo the Elder to Michelozzo around 1444.
The palace was the first official residence of the Medici family and soon became the symbol of their ascent.
Don't miss the frescoed hall known as the Galleria degli Specchi (Gallery of Mirrors) and the Cappella dei Magi (Magi Chapel), famous for the presence of the masterpiece by Benozzo Gozzoli (1459), who decorated its walls with the depiction of the Cavalcata dei Re Magi (Procession of the Three Wise Men) In keeping with tradition, in the faces of the characters, you can see similarities with some of the most influential members of the Medici family of the time.
Filippo Lippi's Madonna and Child is one of the most famous works of art inside the palace.
A few steps from Palazzo Medici Riccardi, looking out onto the square of the same name, is the Basilica of San Lorenzo one of the oldest churches in Florence.
It was here, in the summer of 1539, that Cosimo I and Eleanor of Toledo celebrated their marriage. They were described by Pier Francesco Giambullari, an academic and canon of the basilica from 1527, as a very noble and beautiful couple.
The basilica, commissioned by the progenitor of the Medici family, still contains priceless treasures: the Old Sacristy by Filippo Brunelleschi, the friezes dedicated to St. John the Evangelist and the famous Pulpits of the Resurrection and the Passion, which were Donatello’s last works.
Also not to be missed are the altarpiece by Rosso Fiorentino and the fresco of the Martyrdom of St. Lawrence by Bronzino. Lastly, the New Sacristy and the Cappella dei Principi (Chapel of Princes), with several masterpieces by Michelangelo, form the Medici Chapels, which can be accessed from the back of the church.
A few steps from Palazzo Medici Riccardi, looking out onto the square of the same name, is the Basilica of San Lorenzo one of the oldest churches in Florence.
It was here, in the summer of 1539, that Cosimo I and Eleanor of Toledo celebrated their marriage. They were described by Pier Francesco Giambullari, an academic and canon of the basilica from 1527, as a very noble and beautiful couple.
The basilica, commissioned by the progenitor of the Medici family, still contains priceless treasures: the Old Sacristy by Filippo Brunelleschi, the friezes dedicated to St. John the Evangelist and the famous Pulpits of the Resurrection and the Passion, which were Donatello’s last works.
Also not to be missed are the altarpiece by Rosso Fiorentino and the fresco of the Martyrdom of St. Lawrence by Bronzino. Lastly, the New Sacristy and the Cappella dei Principi (Chapel of Princes), with several masterpieces by Michelangelo, form the Medici Chapels, which can be accessed from the back of the church.
When Cosimo became Grand Duke in 1540, he moved the seat of the government to Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signoria, transforming it into the Ducal Palace and adapting it to the needs of the new Tuscan state.
The interiors were entrusted to Giorgio Vasari , who turned it into a sumptuous Renaissance palace.
On the second floor, there is the grand Salone dei Cinquecento (Hall of the Five Hundred), built by Cronaca (1495): the walls, which were originally frescoed by Michelangelo and Leonardo, owe their present appearance to the monumental decorative work undertaken by Vasari and his school. Michelangelo's marble statue, the Genius of Victory, is also located here.
In contrast with the grandeur of the Salone, there is the small Studiolo of Francesco I, an artistic jewel of sensitivity in Mannerist style, while on the second floor, each of the 3 rooms is dedicated to a Medici family figure.
On the second floor, we find the Apartment of the Elements and the Apartment of Eleanor of Toledo, where the little chapel of the grand duchess, decorated by Bronzino, stands out.
When Cosimo became Grand Duke in 1540, he moved the seat of the government to Palazzo Vecchio in Piazza della Signoria, transforming it into the Ducal Palace and adapting it to the needs of the new Tuscan state.
The interiors were entrusted to Giorgio Vasari , who turned it into a sumptuous Renaissance palace.
On the second floor, there is the grand Salone dei Cinquecento (Hall of the Five Hundred), built by Cronaca (1495): the walls, which were originally frescoed by Michelangelo and Leonardo, owe their present appearance to the monumental decorative work undertaken by Vasari and his school. Michelangelo's marble statue, the Genius of Victory, is also located here.
In contrast with the grandeur of the Salone, there is the small Studiolo of Francesco I, an artistic jewel of sensitivity in Mannerist style, while on the second floor, each of the 3 rooms is dedicated to a Medici family figure.
On the second floor, we find the Apartment of the Elements and the Apartment of Eleanor of Toledo, where the little chapel of the grand duchess, decorated by Bronzino, stands out.
The Uffizi Gallery, next to Palazzo Vecchio, was commissioned by Cosimo to accommodate the city's administrative offices.
Today, the gallery occupies the entire first and second floors of the large building constructed between 1560 and 1580, based on a design by Giorgio Vasari, and is one of the most famous museums in the world.
Also kept here, is the collection that comes from the Medici family’s private collections, later enriched, over the centuries, by bequests, exchanges and donations.
Sandro Botticelli’s works are undoubtedly one of the symbols of the museum.
The Uffizi Gallery, next to Palazzo Vecchio, was commissioned by Cosimo to accommodate the city's administrative offices.
Today, the gallery occupies the entire first and second floors of the large building constructed between 1560 and 1580, based on a design by Giorgio Vasari, and is one of the most famous museums in the world.
Also kept here, is the collection that comes from the Medici family’s private collections, later enriched, over the centuries, by bequests, exchanges and donations.
Sandro Botticelli’s works are undoubtedly one of the symbols of the museum.
In 1550, Eleanor of Toledo purchased Palazzo Pitti and Ammannati designed its inner courtyard and Boboli Gardens.
In 1565, Vasari built the Vasari Corridor for Cosimo I, a passageway connecting Palazzo Vecchio to Palazzo Pitti.
The elevated corridor, about a kilometer long and built in just five months, crosses the Uffizi Gallery, along the Lungarno dei Archibusieri embankment and above the workshops on the east side of the bridge, all the way to Palazzo Pitti.
Today, Palazzo Pitti accommodates the Tesoro dei Granduchi (Treasury of the Grand Dukes), formerly called Museo degli Argenti (Silver Museum), where you can admire precious objects like gemstones, ivories, crystals and jewelry from the collections of the different dynasties that succeeded one another in Tuscany.
Ammannati's grand staircase provides access to the Palatine Gallery, a rich art gallery that contains a remarkable collection of Renaissance paintings, including a significant group of works by Titian and Raphael.
A visit to Palazzo Pitti has to end in the Boboli Gardens, one of the largest and most elegant Italian gardens in the world and a true open-air museum with sculptures ranging from Roman times to the 17th century.
In 1550, Eleanor of Toledo purchased Palazzo Pitti and Ammannati designed its inner courtyard and Boboli Gardens.
In 1565, Vasari built the Vasari Corridor for Cosimo I, a passageway connecting Palazzo Vecchio to Palazzo Pitti.
The elevated corridor, about a kilometer long and built in just five months, crosses the Uffizi Gallery, along the Lungarno dei Archibusieri embankment and above the workshops on the east side of the bridge, all the way to Palazzo Pitti.
Today, Palazzo Pitti accommodates the Tesoro dei Granduchi (Treasury of the Grand Dukes), formerly called Museo degli Argenti (Silver Museum), where you can admire precious objects like gemstones, ivories, crystals and jewelry from the collections of the different dynasties that succeeded one another in Tuscany.
Ammannati's grand staircase provides access to the Palatine Gallery, a rich art gallery that contains a remarkable collection of Renaissance paintings, including a significant group of works by Titian and Raphael.
A visit to Palazzo Pitti has to end in the Boboli Gardens, one of the largest and most elegant Italian gardens in the world and a true open-air museum with sculptures ranging from Roman times to the 17th century.