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Ricasoli Residence Hotel Florence Toscana - PALAZZO PITTI
In the second half of the 15th century, the banker Luca Bonaccorso commissioned the great Filippo Brunelleschi, to create Palazzo Pitti,
built in the area that the Florentines call “Diladdarno” or “beyond the Arno” at the feet of Boboli,
but it was Luca Fancelli who created and began building the first palace outside the city walls.
The Palace has a long history of work which has gone into what we see today, spanning over four centuries. The Palazzo Pitti we see today is also larger
than its original smaller dimensions which consisted of two floors covered with rustic stone ashlars with Doric, Ionic and Corinthian orders all adding
to enrich its architectural Renaissance style.
In 1550 the Palazzo was purchased by Cosimo of the Medici family as a private residence and in 1558 Cosimo commissioned Bartolomeo Ammannati to do more work which
included the addition of large windows in the facade and the courtyard.
The creation and construction of the Great Garden Boboli, named for by the homonymous hill, was done by Niccolò Tribolo.
The addition of a great corridor for the family, so as to be able to walk from the Pitti Palace to the Piazza Signoria in a safer way, protected from the
dangers of a possible attack, was built in 1565 by Vasari. In 1618, under the direction of Giulio da Paragi, work continued when the Palazzo was extended
with the addition of two other buildings with two floors each and extensions to the Palazzo’s present length is due to the work of Alfonso da Parigi in 1640.
Part of the architecture, which completed the facade, are the changes brought on by the Lorena; the addition of the two lateral “rondo” added to the Palazzo
which stretch it towards the Square.
The halls of entertainment on the ground floor were decorated during the period of Grand Duke Ferdinando II, and the first floor, for the event of his wedding
to Vittoria della Rovere, was also decorated during the same period.
The palace was rendered more so breathtaking with additional works done by other great artists like Giovanni da Sangiovanni and Pietro da Cortona.
The final addition, the Palazzina della Meridiana, done in neo-classical style. was made to the building at the end of the 18th century by Gaspare Maria Paoletti
and Pasquale Poccianti by the will of Pietro Leopoldi.
During the course of the centuries, Palazzo Pitti has assumed different functions and today hosts widely visited and important museums.
Today one can visit the atmosphere and splendour of a past epoch which has managed to stay alive through history with expositions of Silver, Chinawares, Costumes,
Carraiges, a Modern Art Gallery and the Garden of Boboli.
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