Galleria Palatina (Palazzo Pitti), Florence

The Pitti Palace was originally built as a palace for Luca Pitti, a wealthy rival of the Medici. It was probably begun in the 1450s, so the traditional attribution of its design to Brunelleschi (who died in 1446) is unlikely; it has also been attributed to Alberti. It remained unfinished until it was acquired in 1549 by Duke Cosimo I, who made it the Medici residence and had it enlarged by Ammanati. Most of the present vast structure dates from the 16th and 17th centuries. The interior includes opulent decoration by Pietro da Cortona. The Pitti Gallery on the upper floor in the left wing contains about 500 masterpieces from the Medici collections which rival those of its sister institution, the Uffizi. The State Apartments contain a profusion of art treasures including sculptures and tapestries, and on the ground floor is the Museo degli Argenti, which contains outstanding collections of plate, goldsmiths' work, ivories, vestments, etc.

You can find more information on the Galleria Palatina at the page of the Museums of Florence (external link).

Recommended viewing from the collection:


Statistics

The Web Gallery of Art contains 288 images of artworks exhibited in the Palazzo Pitti. From these images

© Web Gallery of Art
This page was last updated on 13 February 2022.