Palazzo Pitti in Florence makes theThe apartment of the duchess located on the second floor of the historic Medici residence, which takes its name from Anna di Francia, widow of Duke Amedeo d’Aosta, the last one to live there. Usually visited only on special occasions, the precious rooms can now be used regularly.
The Apartment, in fact, will be open from September 29, and after guided tours which will be held every Sunday from November, a unique opportunity to discover one of the most fascinating places in one of the flagships of Florence.
The satisfaction director’s comment
Simon GreenDirector of Uffizi Galleries expressed satisfaction with the opening of the Apartment and the consequent relaunch of Palazzo Pitti: “The opening of the apartment of the Duchess of Aosta for the first time marks an important first step in the relaunch plan of Palazzo Pitti. The restoration of the evocative spaces of the palace to the public will continue: in the coming months, after years, at the end of a large operation of restoration and rearrangement, the beautiful rooms of the Treasury of the Grand Dukes at the ground floor be accessible again, while on the first floor, starting from the next weeks, the same will happen with the rooms of the royal apartments.”.
A noble journey through time
The apartment of the duchess consists of numerous elegantly furnished roomssome of which overlook the magnificent Boboli Gardens. The sumptuous space was created in the 16th century, when Cosimo I de’ Medici and his wife Eleonora di Toledo bought the palace from the Pitti family to transform it into the residence of the Grand Dukes of Tuscany. The first to reside there was Maria de’ Medici, granddaughter of Cosimo and future queen of France. From that moment, the apartment has always maintained its function as a private residence high-ranking figures.
The rooms, rich in charm and history, show their definitive appearance thanks to the architectural interventions commissioned by the Lorraine and Savoy families between the 18th and 19th centuries. Within them, objects of great value are still preserved, including a valuable collection of manuscripts belonging to Grand Duke Ferdinand II and his wife Vittoria della Rovere, dating from the mid-17th century.
A heritage of indisputable value: the museums of Palazzo Pitti
The guided tours of the Noble Apartment are part of a wider project to enhance the artistic and historical heritage of the magnificent complex of museums and galleries of the Palace in the Oltrearno area, which really leaves you breathless.
Thus we find the Modern Art Gallery which houses a rich collection of Italian paintings and sculptures, ranging from the 18th century to the First World War, with works by artists of the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Palatine Galleryoriginally the private gallery of the Medicis, where masterpieces by Raphael, Titian, Rubens, Correggio and other masters of the European Renaissance and Baroque are exhibited, the Costume galleryunique in Italy, with more than 6,000 items, including historical clothing ranging from the 18th to the 20th century, as well as the costumes and accessories used in the theater.
Again, the Silver Museumalso known as the “Treasure of the Medici”, which collects Chinese and Japanese porcelain, ivories, precious stones, mosaics, crystals and jewels belonging to the Medici and other noble families, and the Porcelain Museumone of the most beautiful collections in Europe that includes pieces from various Italian residences, enriched with objects belonging to the Savoy family.