I, Sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Tuscany Soirée (3/4)
Thursday, September 23rd at 5pm Eastern Time
Join Elaine Ruffolo for the second part of her series as she continues our virtual visit to the Pitti Palace where she highlights a selection of painting masterpieces, discuss the extraordinary objet d'art, and strolls through the Boboli Gardens.
Purchased in 1550, the Palace was chosen by Cosimo I de’ Medici and his wife Eleanor of Toledo as the new Grand Ducal residence, and it soon became the new symbol of the Medici’s power over Tuscany. It also housed the Court of other two dynasties: the House of Habsburg-Lorraine (which succeeded the Medici from 1737) and the Kings of Italy from the House of Savoy, who inhabited it from 1865. Nonetheless the palace still bears the name of its first owner, the Florentine banker Luca Pitti that in the mid-1400s started its construction – maybe after a design by Brunelleschi – at the foot of the Boboli hill beyond the Arno River.
The Palatine Gallery occupies the entire first floor of Pitti Palace and the lavish Gallery was founded between the end of the 18th century and the first decades of the 19th century by the Habsburg-Lorraine family, who hung about 500 masterpieces in the ceremonial rooms chosen from the main Medici’s collections. It is an impressive selection, which includes the largest concentration of paintings by Raphael in the world, as well as invaluable works by Titian, Tintoretto, Caravaggio and Rubens. The paintings in their lavish frames entirely cover the walls of the rooms which are enriched by sculptures, vases, and tables with semi-precious stone inlays, typical of 17th-century galleries. The sensational series of frescoes by Pietro da Cortona for Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinando II de’ Medici, realized between 1640 and 1647 in the “Planet Rooms”, adds to the unique charm of the Gallery, where every work of art is enhanced by the setting and the furnishings. Join art historian for an in-depth look at the history, architecture and painting collection of the magnificent Palazzo Pitti.
Virtual Soirée presentation procedure:
Dana and our guide will arrive at the meeting 10 minutes in advance for those of you who would like to say hello and make sure your zoom settings are ready. The presentation will start promptly at the scheduled hour, and Dana will begin the meeting by muting the microphones and introducing our speaker. The talk will be recorded. The lecture will last about 45 minutes and afterward Dana will moderate a Q&A session. If you show up late, no worries, you will be muted upon entry.
After the tour, you will receive a follow-up email with a recording of the event. You will be able to access this recording until December 31st, 2021.
How to Join
Purchase a membership! → Turquoise & Platinum members receive invitations to each Virtual Soirée Tour automatically, plus access to exclusive events. No need to sign up below!
Purchase a Soirée Passport → Receive invitations to all tours for this soirée automatically and get access to the recordings by purchasing the passport package. No need to sign up below!
Purchase only this tour → Sign up below! Everyone’s first tour is complimentary, simply add this tour to your cart and use the code GETAWAY2021 at checkout. If you have already used the code once, then you can still purchase a ticket to this tour and access to the recording for $35.