Where: Florence, Italy
When: May 13, 2015
With: Mom & Bobby
On my family trip to Italy, a lot of the sites we visited were the usual fan favorites that I had seen on my last trip. But every so often, I was able to sneak in one thing I hadn't seen before. In Florence, that thing was the Palazzo Pitti.
However, I shouldn't take any credit in facilitating this visit as my mom was actually super excited about this place. Once she heard that we could see the grand apartments and living quarters of some of the most influential residents of Florence (the Medicis, Napoleon, etc.), she was in. So we crossed to the south side of the Arno River to see where many of the great Florentine families spent their days.
The palace is huge. I'm always impressed when the tiny, winding streets of an Italian city suddenly open up to a monstrous piazza with a beautiful, gigantic building. It must have been so awe-inspiring back in the 1400s when it was built, with its powerful and foreboding exterior.
When: May 13, 2015
With: Mom & Bobby
On my family trip to Italy, a lot of the sites we visited were the usual fan favorites that I had seen on my last trip. But every so often, I was able to sneak in one thing I hadn't seen before. In Florence, that thing was the Palazzo Pitti.
However, I shouldn't take any credit in facilitating this visit as my mom was actually super excited about this place. Once she heard that we could see the grand apartments and living quarters of some of the most influential residents of Florence (the Medicis, Napoleon, etc.), she was in. So we crossed to the south side of the Arno River to see where many of the great Florentine families spent their days.
The palace is huge. I'm always impressed when the tiny, winding streets of an Italian city suddenly open up to a monstrous piazza with a beautiful, gigantic building. It must have been so awe-inspiring back in the 1400s when it was built, with its powerful and foreboding exterior.
Once inside, the center courtyard provided some much needed shade from the hot, Italian sun. It also offered numerous options for sights within the palace: the gardens, the apartments, the art collection. Or visitors can just sit in the courtyard itself at its elegant cafe. It would be easy to make an entire day out of this palace.
We opted to visit the Galleria Palatina. Within this section of the museum, hundreds of works of art from the Medici's personal collection are displayed within the family's royal apartments. Massive chandeliers welcome you into elaborately decorated hallways that provide just a taste of how wealthy the families living here would have been.
This was possibly the most lavish palace I've ever been in. Thick, gold-covered reliefs covered every inch of ceiling that wasn't already covered in artwork.
As we walked from room to room, there was just too much art to take in. On top of that, the history of the rooms was unbelievable - from a Medici sitting room to Napoleon's bathroom, there was just something to take in at every moment.
When we reached the personal apartments, lavish furniture and decor took over, while giant frescos continued to cover the ceilings. I can't imagine this being my personal bedroom.
Definitely an interesting perspective on how the very elite lived in Florence over the 400 years of its occupancy. A shame we didn't get out to see the Boboli Gardens this time (we opted to enjoy a cup of tea in the cafe instead) but that just means I have something left to be discovered!
No comments:
Post a Comment