Explore Palazzo Pitti

Palazzo Pitti is a palace for three dynasties setting private and public court lives. Still having the name of the first owner Luca Pitti, it was bought in 1550 by Cosimo l de Medici and his wife to change it into a grand ducal residence. The place soon turned out to be the symbol of power over Tuscany.


Presently, Palazzo Pitti is home to 4 museums: the Palatine Gallery of Pitti Palace, the Treasury of Grand Dukes, the Royal Apartments, and the Museum of Fashion and Costume. When you explore Palazzo Pitti, you'll find many painting collections in an exuberant casket of furnishings, silks, frames, and stuccos. The museum has a rich collection of decorative arts in the summer apartment of the Medici. There are sculptures and paintings from neoclassicism that date back to 1930. There are private rooms of the king and queen and a plethora of collections of Russian icons of Western Europe.

The Palatine Gallery
Palatine Gallery

Situated in the left wing, this gallery is the main gallery of Palazzo Pitti. It is home to a beautiful collection of more than 500 Renaissance paintings that were a notable part of the private collections of the Medici family. These collections were made by some iconic artists, and some of the best artists featured in the collection include Titian, Raphel, Corregio, Paul Rubens, and Pietro de Cortona.

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Gallery of Modern Art
Gallery of Modern Art

Originating from the remodelled version of the 1748 florentine academy, the gallery of modern art in Palazzo Pitti features a beautiful collection of sculptures and paintings from the 20th and 19th centuries. There are many historical paintings in the gallery and one of the most iconic ones is the landscapes of the Maremma area. It is one of the most essential paintings of the Macchiaioli movement.

Also Explore: Palazzo Pitti Inside

The Museum of Costume and Fashion
Museum of Costume and Fashion

Also known as the costume museum at Palazzo Pitti, the museum of costume and fashion is situated in the Palazzo Pitti adjacent to the southern wing. The work on this Museum started under the Grand Duke of Tuscany named Peter Leopold in 1776 and was finished in 1830 by Pasquale Poccianti under the Grand Duke Leopold II. The building is named after a famous astronomical instrument that can be seen within the vestibule of the apartment of Prince Ferdinando de Medici.


The Royal Apartments
Imperial and Royal Apartments

The imperial and Royal apartments of Pitti Palace feature 14 rooms in total where the Medici family lived. They have been remodelled and furnished from the historical era which was in the 19th century. There are many varieties of collectibles and antique furniture like the four poster beds. There are also portraits created by Giusto Sustermans in the apartments.

Palazzo Pitti
Treasury of the Grand Dukes

The treasury of the Grand Duke of Pitti Palace, also known as the Silver Museum, features rooms originally used as summer apartments of the Medici family. There is a gallery containing a collection of semi-precious ambers, stone vases, rock crystals, and ivories. An entire section is devoted to showcasing modern jewellery along with the collections of the 19th and 17th centuries. Explore Palazzo Pitti to find out more about the antique jewellery collections.

Palazzo Pitti Highlights

Palazzo Pitti
  • Palazzo Pitti was constructed in 1458 overlooking the river Arno and was originally the township of the popular Florence banker, Luca Pitti.
  • Some of the greatest artworks in Italy can be seen during a visit to Palazzo Pitti. You can explore Palazzo Pitti to witness the various galleries that are home to 500 pieces of 17th-century European artwork displayed in beautiful rooms.
  • Some of the best masterpieces at the Museum include works by Fra Bartolomeo, portraits by Botticelli, artworks by Filippo Lippi and Piero del Pollaiolo as well as the iconic 1514 Madonna and Child.
  • Palazzo Pitti is one of the largest museum complexes in Florence and is spread around an area of 32000 square metres. It is segregated into many galleries and museums.

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Palazzo Pitti History

The Palatine Gallery
  • Inhabited for approximately 4 centuries by 3 Roman dynasties, Palazzo Pitti was the palace of a Florentine merchant who had it constructed as his private residence during the 15th century.
  • The owner of the palace, Luca Pitti, died leaving the project unfinished.
  • During the 15th century, the structure only had three large doors and two rows of 7 windows on the facade.
  • The palace was abundant after the death of the merchant and was purchased by Eleonora of Toledo in 1549 as a ceremonial residence.
  • The palace was extended to the rear and front sections by the favourite architect of the Duke.
  • There were the magnificent Italian Boboli gardens behind the palace, which served to be a centre of attraction as a combination between art and nature.
  • The Italian Boboli gardens later became the model for Royal palaces in Europe.
  • The two front wings of the Museum were developed with terraces and porticos, known as Rondo. The original size of the palace tripled after these works.
  • Presently, the palace hosts the best artworks of artists in the most magnificent manner in frescoed rooms.
  • The Museum houses the treasury of the Grand Duke, the royal and imperial apartments, the Palatine gallery, the gallery of modern art, and the museum of costume and fashion today.


You can Also Checkout: Palatine Chapel in Pitti Palace

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Palazzo Pitti
  • Address: Piazza de' Pitti, 1, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy
  • Location: Palazzo Pitti, also known as the Pitti Palace, is located in Florence in Italy. It is situated on the southern side of the river Arno, which is a short while from Ponte Vecchio.


Must Read: Facts of Pitti Palace

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    The Palazzo Pitti was initially used for occasional functions of the court and lodging official guests. It enabled the Grand Duke to move easily and safely from his official residence to the palace.

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