The royal apartments of the Pitti Palace are spectacular, but most people forget to look up at the one of a kind ceilings. Each ceiling tells a story with the artwork done, and the stories are astounding.
Pitti palace was built in the late 15thcentury for Luca Pitti, but Filippo Brunelleschi died before he could finish it in 1472.
When he died, the palace just had a few stories and a few windows. Nothing special.
The Medici family bought it in 1550, and completed the palace with their own touches, and added on more extensions, which made it something to talk about.
Decorations and artwork done in the Pitti Palace were done by Giovanni da San Giovanni, Pietro da Cortona, il Volterrano, Antonio Domenico Gabbiani and Sebastiano Ricci. There are many other decorators and artists, but the highlights of artwork are done by these artists.
Now, the palace holds the Palantine Gallery, the Silver Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the Costume Gallery, the Porcelian Museum and the Museum of Carriages.
For tickets to the Pitti Palace click here.
Focusing on the Palantine Gallery, or the royal apartments, we see exquisite artwork done on the ceilings that help each room tell its own story.
Roman mythology is used on most of the ceilings and the families that lived in the Pitti Palace, like the Medici family, are incorporated with the Roman gods to tell a different story in each royal apartment.
Many Roman gods are the same as Greek gods, but the names are mostly the only thing different. Most of the Roman and Greek gods have the same story too, but some are changed just a little bit to fit the Roman or Greek culture.
To learn more about the differences click here.
The Pitti Palace is located in Florence, Italy. It is a short walk from the Ponte Vecchio.
To understand the artwork on the ceilings, you must understand the history and stories behind why the artist created such a masterpiece.
The first room to learn about is the Sala della Musica. This marvelous room was created in the 19th century.
The ceiling depicts the Liberation of Vienna from the Turkish siege of 1638.
In the Liberation of Vienna from the Turkish siege, Leopold I and John III Sobieski of Poland teamed up to defeated the Turks.
Luigi Ademollo helped to make the artwork come alive in this room along with the ceiling and the decorations of musical instruments along the walls.
Walking into the Galleria del Pocetti in the royal apartments, you are in awe at the ceiling.
First of all, it is a barrel vault ceiling that makes the room look a lot larger than it is.
The barrel vault is a common theme in the ceilings that help to make the rooms and hallways look longer and larger.
This fresco was done during Cosimo II between 1620 and 1625.
By reading the name of the room, one may think that the artwork on the ceiling was done by the painter Poccetti, but he didn’t do any of the artwork. This was done by his pupil Michelangelo Cinganelli.
Three other artists helped Michelangelo Cinganelli with this ceiling. The three other artisits from Florence were Filippo Tarchiani, Matteo Rosselli and Ottacio Vannini.
The three panels that you see are from the top to bottom, faith, justice and fortitude.
On the end, you can see allegorical figure of Siena.
Next, as you walk into Sala dell’Educazione di Giove, you notice the red walls with the beautiful pieces of art, but looking up you are struck by the patterns of the ceiling.
Painted by Luigi Cantani in 1819, it shows the story of baby Jupiter.
Baby Jupiter is a myth based on the island of Crete.
Saturn, Jupiter’s father, was afraid his children would overthrow him, so he swallow each child as they were born. Except for Jupiter. When Jupiter was born, his mother suck him away to Crete to be raised.
The artwork on this ceiling shows the baby Jupiter being raised by the nymph Adrastea. The group of choristes in this were used, according to myth, to cover his crying so that his father did not find him.
Walking into the Sala di Venere, you cannot miss this gold detail on the ceiling. The light reflects the amazing gold on top of you and your eyes are drawn to it.
Giovanni, a worker at the Pitti Palace, said that his favorite room was the Sala di Venere.
“Everyone is attracted to gold, and this ceiling draws the eye straight to the ceiling,” Giovanni said.
Look closely at this artwork and it shows the young Prince of the Medici family being torn from Venus and handed over to Hercules. Hercules was the protector of the Medici house, so this symbolizes protection and good health from the roman gods.
“When I am sitting in this room (Sala di Venere), I watch as people walk in and turn their heads straight up with their moths wide open,” Giovanni said.
Coming into the Iliad room, as you look up you see the story of Jupiter ordering the gods not to try to influence the outcome of the Trojan war.
When visiting the royal apartments of the Pitti Palace, make sure you don’t forget to look up. You can be so caught up with the pieces of beautiful art on the walls that many times you forget to look up.
Just a reminder for anywhere you go, make sure to be observant and take in all the museum or artwork has to offer. Absorb the art and be in the moment.
Make sure to secure your ticket to see some of the most beautiful pieces of artwork in Florence, Italy.
The photographs do not do the ceilings or the rooms justice. Go see for yourself why people walk around with their mouths open in awe.