Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens

Before and during the Renaissance the Medici family gained much wealth and power through its banking interests. Back then, there were those who wished "to keep up with (or surpass) the Medici", among them another banker, Luca Pitti. Now, the Medici were wise enough to not flaunt their wealth (it was obvious enough); however, Luca Pitti was not. Legend has it he decided to outdo the Medici by building a very grand palace. Thus, in the mid-Fifteenth Century, construction of the Pitti Palace began.  Pity poor Pitti: this was probably not the first time an ambitious home builder got in over his head, and certainly not the last. Being in banking, you'd think he would have known better. Here's the front entrance.

Really not much to look at when compared with other Florentine architecture. Pitti moved forward for several years until he had financial difficulties. He eventually died, though the palace remained in the Pitti family until the mid-Sixteenth Century when a willing buyer appeared on the scene, none other than the Medici family. Actually, the new owner was Eleonora di Toledo, Duchess of Florence, wife of Cosimo I de Medici, who wanted a place for visiting guests to stay. In time the palace became the Medici residence, was more than doubled in size, and the Boboli gardens were developed as a rather opulent back yard. The view behind the palace:

The interior of the palace now houses several museums, with a wealth of art and other Renaissance treasures.  During winter the Boboli Gardens appear as most gardens in winter, with the exception of some rather substantial garden ornaments.  Here are some water statues.

Here they are from a distance.  Neither the statues nor the bird seem to move very much.

Here's a nice cypress lined walkway.

 

A rear view of the palace.

Even on a chilly day, at least one visitor was having a grand time with so much room to run about.  A plus of a winter visit is the absence of crowds.

Behind a wing of the palace a couple of lions appear to be staring at each other, each with a paw over an orb, perhaps a globe, and perhaps reflective of the concerns that weigh on those with wealth and power.

Finally, leaving behind the treasures of the Pitti Palace, one finds across the way a pleasing contemporary discovery.

A shop specializing in teas and chocolates.  On that bright thought...ciao.