Palazzo Pitti - Pitti Palace

Palazzo Pitti (Pitti Palace) is located in the historical district of Oltrarno. When it was built, at the orders of Luca Pitti, the perennial rival of the Medici, it was the largest and most sumptuous residence in Florence.

The architect who officially built it was Luca Fancelli, the student of Brunelleschi. The Pitti family, finding themselves in financial difficulty, sold the palace to Eleonora di Toledo, wife of Cosimo I de’ Medici, and it became the family's main residence. In 1565, Giorgio Vasari was appointed to connect Palazzo Pitti with Palazzo Vecchio, and so he built the Vasari Corridor, which, passing through the Church of Saint Felix, the Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) and the Uffizi Gallery, unites the two palaces. Over the years it became the residence of the Lorena family, and then of the Savoys.

The Boboli Gardens, one of the most important examples of the Italian garden style, were built between the 15th and 19th century. The Palace underwent extension and various modifications to arrive at its present layout in which it houses five different museums. The Palatine Gallery, containing masterpieces by Raffaello and Tiziano, is located there, as well as the Monumental Apartments and the Modern Art Gallery, with the most important works by the Macchiaioli.

It also houses specialist museums, such as the Silverware Museum, the Costume Gallery, dedicated to fashion, the Porcelain Museum and the Carriage Museum.


See also: Florence Walking Tour and Palazzo Pitti

See also: Florence Guided Tours