""THE PITTI PALACE"" "This is Florence." "For many, perhaps almost for all..." "Florence is the city of art per excellence." "But how much do we owe today to Florence?" "How much do we owe in terms of taste, beauty and elegance?" "It is largely Florence that's given us the way we build our houses... the way we decorate them... the way we arrange the paintings or, indeed, arrange our tables." "Even our way of being chic or elegant, or simply fashionable... has come from Florence." "Today we see all that here... collected in what was one of the great European palaces... and wich has become a fantastic and surprising museum box." "Now let's go inside." "The Vasari Corridor." "The Palace." "The Palatine Gallery." "The Silver Museum." "The Carriage Museum." "The Porcelain Museum." "The Costume Gallery." "The Monumental Apartments." "The Boboli Garden." "The Medici Villa La Petraia." "The Modern Art Gallery." "It all began in 1549... when the Medici, overlords of Florence, acquired the Pitti Palace." "They transformed the old building designed by Brunelleschi... into a palace fit for the crown... in particular that of the new grand duke." "And here it is." "This is the staircase leading to the famous corridor... built by Giorgio Vasari for Francesco I, Cosimo's son... in 1564." "It was built in just five months." "THE VASARI CORRIDOR" "The corridor is a kind of aerial passageway... from the Uffizi Gallery, than the duke's administrative offices... to the Pitti Palace, the grand ducal seat." "In other words, from home to office." "Vasari conceived of the corridor as a monumental urban artery... carrying the sovereigns absolute power... into the historic heart of the city." "Now the visitors steps leads past no fewer than 700 paintings... all from the XVII and XVIII centuries." "Above all, self-portraits by the most famous masters of painting... from the XVI to the XX century." "It is a unique collection... began by cardinal Leopoldo de Medici in the mid-XVII century... and constantly added to up to our own times." "Many of these self-portraits, specially the older ones... are from the painters own portfolios... with each they presented themselves and their pictorial style." "The visitors final steps along the corridor... pass beneath the gaze of Ana Maria Luisa, palatine electress... the last of the Medicis." "The exit is at the Boboli, by the Buontalenti Grotto... also commissioned by Francesco I." "The underlined concept is the metamorphosis of material... from the shapeless disorder of chaos to the harmony of beings." "It is also an amused entertaining play of imagination and fantasy... carried out with consummate artistic skill." "And there, in the background, is the Pitti." "THE PALACE" "This is more or less the form of the original palace." "Very different from the building we see today." "Even more graceful perhaps." "It embodies the desires of Lucca Pitti... a wealthy merchant, friend and later rival of Cosimo the Old... based on a design by Brunelleschi and built by Luca Fancelli." "A single mass with three doors and seven windows." "And it remained unchanged for more than a century... as witnessed by several documents of that era." "When the Medicis took possession of the palace... they commissioned Ammannati, a famous sculpture and architect... to enlarge it, creating a palace worthy... of the grand duke of Tuscany." "It was in other words, a showcase for the grand duke... where he could host celebrations and spectacles." "But just like any other self-respecting home... the Pitti too underwent many transformations." "The first, in 1620, followed by another only 20 years later... saw the start of a comprehensive enlargement project... with an extension of the façade by 5 further windows on each side... still however respecting the original style." "The new architects, Giulio Parigi and his son Alfonso... had no desire to betray Brunelleschi's unmistakable imprint." "Then came the definitive transformations... commissioned by the house of Lorena family... who became the new dukes of Tuscany in 1765." "The first change was the addition of a Southern rondo... then the northern finished as recently as 1815." "In that year, the Pitti took on its final form that we see today." "The figures are impressive:" "The façade stretches for 225 yards... and at its center is 40 yards tall." "It's the largest of the Florentine palaces." "Monumental, austere, magnificent." "These are the words that inspired tourists more than a century ago... struck especially by the buildings severity... further emphasized by the imposing strength of the materials used." "And within the walls... the courtyard built by Bartolomeo Ammannati for Cosimo I... between 1558 and 1570 is just as imposing." "A series of porticos, windows and balconies... supported by three orders of pilasters." "It's striking use of light and shade... given greater emphasis by the use of rustication towards the top." "THE BOBOLI GARDEN" "This lovely hillside is called the Boboli Garden." "A wonderful example of an Italian style garden... creating a perfect blend of natural and contrived architecture." "But that's not all." "It's also an open air museum full of artistic masterpieces." "In fact, it came about as a natural enlargement of the courtyard... forming a kind of spectacular extension." "In particular the so-called amphitheater is a space designed... for various kinds of performances and shows... to celebrate coronations, weddings and birthdays." "The present form of the garden is the result of a series of projects... which enhanced the garden until it took on its current form... based on the XVIII to XIX century designs." "THE PALATINE GALLERY" "This is the bronze bust of Cosimo... the first grand duke of Tuscany." "Here at the Pitti in this very room... originally the antechamber of the apartment... he created the first museum in Florence." "Its original exhibits were simply some statues from Rome... and a serious of portraits of famous men." "But the atmosphere of the Pitti could already be felt:" "A series of objects accumulated over the years... placed there by successive owners with no particular intent." "The only criterion was beauty... or perhaps it was just because they liked these objects." "Let's go in." "Were welcome by Venus." "Canova's interpretation, of course." "But Tiziano also draws us in with this, a painting from his youth." "It was once attributed to Giorgione... perhaps because this, The Three Ages, really is Giorgione's work." "And Tiziano may have known this painting well." "In this room, beneath the crowded skies of Pietro da Cortona... we see Tiziano once again." "Pietro Aretino, the subject of this portrait, said of this work:" ""It breathes, the pulse beats... and the spirit moves just as mine in life."" "But in the Venus room, it is beauty that comes to life." "In the smoothness of the marble and the softness of colour." "Tiziano again, of course... in a very special interpretation." "Who would not be inspired to dance here where rooms are pure emotion?" "Further over there, the enchanting ceilings by Pietro da Cortona... but the atmosphere of this room has changed, it feels different." "Great piety and high religiosity." "This piece, the Prince Ferdinand, at the close of the XVII century... literally stole from the Church of Santo Espirito... to adorn his apartments." "He then surrounded it with Baroque frame." "Other great altar pieces underwent the same fate." "Almost all from XVI century Florence... and coerced into a new role as decoration for apartment interiors." "In one corner, Vittoria della Rovere, Ferdinand's wife... depicted as the Vestal Tucia... an allegory for chastity expressed through narrow-minded religiosity." "War is the theme for the Mars room." "A war that inspires the anguish devastation of Rubens' masterpiece." "Another depiction of war on the ceiling by Pietro da Cortona." "A war without tragedy, of course... whose purpose is to form part of the complex allegorical series... celebrating the Medici family... commissioned from the artist in 1637 by Ferdinand II." "The result is a sumptuous décor creating a thematic link... between the paintings, statues, frames, furnishing and walls... just as prescribed by the Baroque aesthetic." "Here is the so-called "Madonna del Granduca" and it is by Raphael." "In 1799, Ferdinand III of Lorena, then in exile... instructed the director of the Uffizi to buy it." "Ferdinand was never separated from it again." "The frescoes of the vaults, commissioned from Cortona... are by Ciro Ferri, as Pietro had been recalled to Rome by the Pope." "The theme is the deification of the Medici prince... as he is taken up into Olympus." "The "Madonna della Seggiolla", the most famous of Raphael's paintings." "So famous in fact that when the French occupied Florence in 1799... the painting was taken from Pitti and placed on display at the Louvre." "And this other Raphael is certainly just as famous." "It probably depicts "la fornarina", the woman he loved." "The statue of charity brings us into the last room occupying the façade." "The room is just as it was conceived by the Lorena family." "With frescoes by Luigi Sabatelli on the theme of the "Iliad"." "The purpose of the gallery underwent important changes under the Lorenas." "It was no longer the Medicis private passion... but became an important collection open to the public." "And the intention was to educate, inspired by Enlightenment ideas." "Since then, visitors, tourists and enthusiasts have come... as well as copyists, almost at home in the Pitti Palace." "Landscapes of the Dutch school." "Works in small format... inappropriate in the vast expanses of the palatine rooms." "These are displayed together in a small corridor." "Further, a singular collection of miniatures on parchment... of the painter Giovanna Garzoni, born in Ascoli Piceno in 1600." "Rotondo room." "The conception of Leopold II of Lorena in about 1830... this room is a homage to the then reigning neoclassical taste... with the display of symmetries between the circles and rectangles." "Nowadays perhaps it is less rigorous." "The Giovanni of the San Giovanni Room." "Now the first room of the Silver Museum." "It was the grand duke Ferdinand de Medicis waiting room." "That was in the 1630s." "The room is named after the artist who began the frescoes... all dedicated to a celebration of Lorenzo the Magnificent." "Giovanni describes the exodus of Greek culture from Parnassus... to the Florence of Lorenzo the Magnificent... after the fall of Constantinople." "Lorenzo is depicted welcoming the muses to Florence... while he establishes peace and defends culture... in the platonic academy at Careggi." "THE SILVER MUSEUM" "Lorenzo's collection includes hardstone vases... of ancient craftsmanship by Florentine goldsmiths of the time." "Above, engraved, is his name." "Cornelians, cameos, precious gem stones... offer a foretaste of a fabulous collection of objects... brought together over the centuries by the Medici and Lorena families... brought as gifts from Germany, Austria and the New World." "Together they form the contents of the Silver Museum... probably the most breathtaking of Europe's treasure rooms." "Pieces in rock crystal, hardstone works... new and ancient technologies... craftsmen from Northern Europe... mingling with native artists." "And it's to them we owe this great skill in hardstone work." "A craft which's enjoyed great popularity since the XVI century... and even conquered the courts of Prague, Paris, Vienna and Madrid." "Gian Gastone de Medici died in 1737 without an heir." "He was the last of the dynasty." "What used to be his bedroom now contains devotional objects... in amber, petrified fossilized resin... collected along the Baltic coastline." "At the time, it was attributed with magical and therapeutic powers." "All these objects from Northern Europe... are displayed in showcases, carved cabinets, like this one." "Ebony was also a highly prized material... used specially for making hardstone cabinets." "These 15 ivory vases from the xvii century... turned by German artists from Nuremberg and Kolhberg... are some of the most original objects in the Medici treasure." "They form part of the war booty plundered by Mathias de Medici... during the conflict known by history as the Thirty years War." "These objects were so popular that a German turner was invited... to work at the Medici court." "His name was Philip Zinn." "The objects in this room belonged to Ana Maria Luisa de Medici... wife of the palatine elector." "They are works by Flemish and Dutch goldsmiths... created between the XVI and xvii centuries." "On the death of her brother, Ana became heir to the Medici riches." "In 1737, she signed the Family Agreement with the house of Lorena... in which she left all the families possessions, galleries, paintings... libraries and jewels to the city of Florence... which would be exclusive responsible for its conservation from then on." "In fact, she wished to prevent this heritage... from the fate of being dispersed among the other European courts." "This silver table service made between 1585 and 1590... belonged to the bishops of Salzburg and Wurtzburg." "It then became part of the treasure of Ferdinand III of Lorena... during his exile in Vienna." "The service comprises a series of 54 goblets... with a valuable washstand used during meals at court." "This travel set also belonged to Ferdinand III." "It not only included toilet pieces, but also a breakfast set." "An affectation perhaps, but also a consolation for a man like him... forced by Napoleonic exile to live a life of constant flight." "THE CARRIAGE MUSEUM" "It was Ferdinand yet again... who commissioned at least three carriages for himself... now preserved in the Carriage Museum." "The most beautiful is the Berlina de Gala." "It was in this carriage that grand duke Leopold II of Lorena... left the Pitti Palace after the plebiscite of 1859... that marked the victory of the house of Savoy... drawing to a close almost a century of government by the Lorena." "A small Italian style garden at the summit of the Boboli hill... on the so-called Collina del Cavalieri or Knights Hill." "Facing the garden, is an elegant villa... which now hosts the Porcelain Museum created in 1973." "It now displays all that remains of the Medici and Lorena collections." "THE PORCELAIN MUSEUM" "This Chinese inspired vase... following the fashions of the time is a Meissen piece." "Founded in 1710, was the first porcelain factory in Saxony." "The tea pot and sugar bowl created especially for Gian Gastone... are also Meissen pieces." "In 1737, Marchese Carlo Ginori opened Doccia factory in Florence." "Doccia porcelain was typified by the use of hard paste... and stampino stencils that allowed different kind of prints to be used." "Like this one with its view of the rondos." "It was later followed by opaque white porcelain or biscuit." "Pieces in biscuit were also popular in Naples... and here, in 1722, the Royal factory opened... using Florentine techniques." "This factory produced statuettes depicting the various costumes... of the Napoleonic reign, presented by the Bourbons... to their relations:" "The Lorena family." "xviii century porcelain... can easily be recognized by its typical floral pattern... or empire style decoration during the Napoleonic period." "The service presented by Napoleon to his sister Elisa Baciocchi... who was granted the title of grand duchess of Tuscany is an example." "Elisa waited in vain for her brother at the Pitti... but Napoleon never had the time to visit her at the palace." "His only presence there is marked by this bust in porcelain... a present from the emperor to Ferdinand III of Lorena in 1811." "THE COSTUME GALLERY" "The Meridian Palace was the residence of the Lorena family... now home to the Costume Gallery, an important specialist museum." "The garments on display did not play a role in the history of Pitti... but are donations from private individuals and corporations." "Clothes and accessories show the evolution of dress... from the xviii to the XX century." "They are displayed in rotation to limit wear and tear." "The White Room." "This is the largest room in the Pitti Palace... and it's a ball room, of course." "Today, it leads to the monumental apartments." "THE MONUMENTAL APARTMENTS" "The Green Room once the guard room." "Restoration works on the apartments completed in 1993... involved a painstaking recreation of the rooms as they were in 1911... when the palace passed from the Savoy family to the Italian state." "The interiors reflected the taste of Humberto I and Margaret of Savoy." "A very special highly personalized evocation of the Baroque." "The audience chamber of Prince Ferdinand de Medici... it then became the chamberlains room at the time of the Lorenas." "Under the Savoys, it was transformed into the throne room." "The hangings include a XIX century crimson and silk tapestry." "Vittorio Emanuele's throne and canopy... displayed the arms of the Savoys, also seen on the Baroque mirror." "The Blue Room contains a series of portraits of the Medici family." "They all bear the signature of Sustermans... a Flemish artist appointed official painter to the Medici court in 1620." "In the center, a chandelier with carved flowers and fruits... the work of Dutch artist Crosten." "This was once Prince Ferdinand's bedroom... and is a full-blooded embodiment of late Medici taste... especially in the late Baroque decoration of the carvings." "The Lorena family turned it into a chapel... adorned with typical examples of hardstone work by Foggini." "The so-called Sala degli Pappagallo or Parrot Room." "These birds bear a close resemblance to royal eagles." "This is a bust of Ferdinand III of Lorena." "The original bust depicted Napoleon... but when the emperor's fortune took a turn for the worse in 1814... this state of affairs was reflected by the empire style clock." "More evidence of the Savoy family's eclectic tastes." "The queens bed chamber with its Baroque furnishing..." "XIX century bed and neoclassical divan and chairs." "The cabinet is mid-XIX century." "And here is Foggini again with a prie-dieu from 1687... and a holy water fountain dated 1704." "This ornate cabinet is also by Foggini." "Crafted in ebony, alabaster, ivory and gilded bronze... it is now in the queens salon." "The Lorena family brought a taste for rococo to the apartments." "Examples of this can be found in the oval room... with its xviii century oriental designs... and a colorful stucco on the ceiling." "Margaret of Savoy then had it made into a dressing room." "Another of Foggini's work is to be found in the bedroom of Humberto I:" "A prie-dieu in hardstone, ebony and gilded bronze." "This and the holy water fountain... were crafted in the grand dukes workshops in the early xviii... for Ana Maria Luisa de Medici." "Humberto I's study." "The desk is an unmistakable example of the Luis XV style." "It was made for the king of France himself." "The crimson and velvet divan and armchair are from Lorena... and are now in the salon of Humberto I." "Yet another example of the late XIX Baroque revival." "THE BOBOLI GARDEN" "Piazzale dellisotto." "Bogs and home oak edges surround the late mannerist piazzale... by the architects Parigi and son." "The same Parigi who carried out the first enlargement of Pitti in 1618." "Its focal point is the Statue of Oceanos... dominating a fanciful series of statues, fountains, decorations... all reflected in the mirror of the pond." "This was once described as biscuit group... against a cloth of green velvet." "Another garden." "This belongs to the La Petraia Medici Villa... a sparkling jewel in the Medici Villas scattered across Florence... and the Tuscan countryside." "It used to be a country house belonging to the Brunelleschis... in the XIV century and, after changing hands several times... was acquired by the Medici around 1530." "The renovation work, which was completed in the late XVI century... was probably entrusted to Bernardo Buontalenti." "THE MEDICI VILLA LA PETRAIA" "The interior frescoes by Volterrano adorning galleries and walls... depict the most glorious episodes in the lives of the Medici." "When Florence was the Italian capital... it was the summer residence of Vittorio Emanuele II of Savoy." "In 1919, it then became the property of the Italian state." "The frescoes in the cappella vecchia or old chapel... are probably the work of Cosimo Dandi." "On the altar, an old copy of Raphael's "Madonna dell'Impanata"." "There's another XVI century structure in the garden... an Italian style garden laid out with almost geometric precision." "THE MODERN ART GALLERY" "The Pitti Palace Modern Art Gallery... was established in the XIX century... when Vittorio Emanuele brought together the works of the academy... collected by the Lorena family... with pieces he bought at national and international exhibitions." "The gallery offers a comprehensive overview of painting... from neoclassical to the XX century... with particular focus on Tuscan art movements." "There are also examples of sculpture from the same period... several works by foreign artists and XIX century applied arts." "Bear trees, the skyline of the distant city... the real countryside." "Giovanni Fattori was probably there himself." "The large canvas is certainly the most important work in the room... dedicated to paintings of the Italian unification... and a celebration of national unity." "Giovanni Fattoris' name is closely linked to the Macchiaioli group." "In mid-XIX century Tuscany... they brought about an artistic revolution... with themes that broke away completely from past styles." "The Marema countryside... or life in the fields, in the city." "Scenes of everyday life." "Abatti e Borrani painted on simple wooden tablets... often on cigar boxes." "Many of their works passed into the hands of Diego Martelli... whose collection is now in the gallery." "Martelli was the promoter of the so-called "Pittura de Macchia"... meaning spot or stain painting... based on clear contrasts or pools of color." "A distinctive, intense foretaste of the innovation soon to follow." "The façade rooms contain works by Italian artists... who in the late XIX century... drew inspiration directly from international art movements... specially the French schools." "This gallery brings to an end a journey across 5 centuries of art." "Scene and surroundings witnessed upheavals in public life... and the lives of the protagonists." "In this sense, the galleries of the Pitti Palace... which has seen increasing emphasis placed on its role as museum... is a reference point in art history... and not only Florentine art... but also Italian and European art as a whole."