The Newsletter of the Uffizi Galleries

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The Medici’s collections of paintings on display with a vast array of sumptuous frames, furnishings, stuccoes, silks and Baroque frescoes

Between public and private court life: a Palace for three dynasties

Pitti Palace

Palatine Gallery

The Palatine Gallery and Royal and Imperial Apartments occupy the entire first floor of Pitti Palace, which was the residence of the Medici dynasty, then of Habsburg-Lorraine one and lastly of the House of Savoy, hosting the King of Italy from 1865&nbsp;to 1919. The lavish Gallery was founded between the end of the 18th century and the first decades of the 19th century by the Habsburg-Lorraine family, who hung about 500 masterpieces in the ceremonial rooms chosen from the main Medici&rsquo;s collections. It is an impressive selection, which includes the largest concentration of paintings by Raphael in the world of, as well as invaluable works by Titian, Tintoretto, Caravaggio and Rubens. The paintings in their lavish frames entirely cover the walls of the rooms which are enriched by sculptures, vases and tables with semi-precious stone inlays, typical of 17th-century galleries.&nbsp;The sensational series of frescoes by Pietro da Cortona for Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinando II de&rsquo; Medici, realized between 1640 and 1647 in the &ldquo;Planet Rooms&rdquo;, adds to the unique charm of the Gallery, where every work of art is enhanced by the setting and the furnishings

A rich collection of decorative arts in the Medici’s sumptuous Summer Apartments

Treasury of the Grand Dukes

Formerly known as the Silver Museum, the Treasury of the Grand Dukes&nbsp;is located on the ground and mezzanine floors of Pitti Palace, and comprises the rooms that were once the summer apartments of the Medici family. Its walls, entirely frescoed on the occasion of the wedding&nbsp;between&nbsp;Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinando II de&rsquo;Medici and Vittoria della Rovere (1637), are one of the first examples of quadrature and trompe-l&rsquo;oeil perspective in Florence. It houses the precious &ldquo;Medici&rsquo;s Treasure&rdquo;: semi-precious stone vases, rock crystals, ambers and ivories. The silverware comes from the &ldquo;Treasure of Salzburg&rdquo; - the collections of the Bishops of Salzburg - and was brought to Florence by Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinand&nbsp;III of Habsburg-Lorraine. The Museum also houses an important collection of jewellery realized&nbsp;between the 17th and 20th centuries and has a large section dedicated to contemporary jewellery.

Three centuries of court splendour in the private rooms of the King and Queen

The Queen’s Bedroom

The Apartments are temporarily closed for maintenance and restoration workThe Imperial and Royal Apartments occupy the fourteen ceremonial rooms on the first floor, situated in the South wing of Pitti Palace. At the beginning of the 18th century the private apartments were occupied by Grand Prince of Tuscany Ferdinando de&rsquo; Medici; then, between the end of the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century, they were renovated and altered by the Grand Dukes of Habsburg-Lorraine. From 1865 the sovereigns of the Royal House of Savoy (hence the name) lived there during the short period in which Florence was the capital of Italy, leaving the distinctive stamp of their taste on the general appearance of the Royal and Imperial Apartments, which is still visible today. Sumptuously furnished with pieces from the collections of the Medici, Habsburg-Lorraine and House of Savoy, they bear traces of the changing dynasties. The tables with semi-precious stone inlays, consoles and mirrors, furnishings and silk tapestries on the walls are in a striking mixture of styles, reflecting the daily life and taste of the different periods and inhabitants.

Imperial and Royal Apartments

Paintings and sculptures from Neoclassicism to the 1930s: the greatest exponents of Italian art in the sumptuous residence of the Grand Dukes of Habsburg-Lorraine

Gallery of Modern Art

The Gallery of Modern Art is located in the rooms once inhabited by the Habsburg-Lorraine family on the second floor of Pitti Palace, from which there is a magnificent view over Florence and the Boboli Gardens. Its collections of paintings and sculptures, ranging from the end of the 18th century until the first decades of the 20th century, are still being added to through donations and purchases. Once inhabited by the Grand Dukes of Habsburg-Lorraine, these sumptuous rooms host Neoclassical and Romantic artworks and numerous important paintings by the Macchiaioli school, mainly from Diego Martelli&rsquo;s collection. There is indeed a considerable number of historical paintings in the Gallery, including the well-known landscapes of the Maremma area by Giovanni Fattori, leading artist of the Macchiaioli movement. The 19th-century itinerary concludes with works of Symbolist&nbsp;and Divionist movements. Among the various painters on display: F. Hayez, S. Lega, T. Signorini, G. Fattori, C. Pissarro, M. Rosso, G. Boldini, P. Nomellini.