World Travel Guide

City Guide  - Florence  - Further Distractions
Further Distractions

Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens

Also in the Oltrarno lies the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens. Built in 1440 for the wealthy Pitti family, this monstrous palace was intended as a challenge to the omnipotent Medici. This architectural snub was short-lived however, when the family fortunes dwindled and the palace was acquired by their rivals. It is best to start early in the day as the palace now houses four museums and the lavishly decorated State Apartments. Most only make it around the Galleria Palatina, yet more paintings from the Medici collection. Rubens, Titian and Raphael, wrapped in heavy gilt frames, vie for attention amid frescoed ceilings and opulent furnishings.

Visitors at saturation point, may choose to skip all the galleries and head straight for the Boboli Gardens, a haven of fountains, grottoes and shady walks populated by local cats and perfect for sun-blessed picnics. The carpet of medieval Florence rolls away beyond the palace: crack open the Chianti, unwrap the salami and slip back into the Middle Ages.

Piazza Pitti
Tel: (055) 238 8614. Fax: (055) 238 8613.
Transport: Bus D.
Opening hours: Tues-Sun 0830-1830.
Admission: L12,000 (entry to all museums).



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