Location: Santo Spirito
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Things to do in Florence, Tuscany: The Best Specialty Museums
Florence is an art historian’s dream. The Galleria dell'Accademia bursts with works by Michelangelo, who is entombed within the frescoed walls of the Basilica di Santa Croce. Budding photographers can snap pics of the Ponte Vecchio bridge, and serious shoppers can spend a blissful afternoon wandering the shops of Piazza Santo Spirito. Tuscan cuisine pays homage to the region’s bounty. Swipe a hunk of crusty bread across a pool of local olive oil and you’ll be instantly transported to your happiest place.
Restaurants in Florence
1. Palazzo Pitti
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 5,738 reviews
A complex of art museums housing some of the most celebrated treasures in the city..
Reviewed By asiyahnoemik - Pula, Croatia
The palace, which houses several important museums, was built in the second half of the 15th century by project of Filippo Brunelleschi for rich banker Luca Pitti. Pitti's intention was to build a palace that would overshadow Palazzo Medici. However, the building could not really be compared to the size or luxury of the Medici family palace. Luca Pitti died in 1472 and the construction remained unfinished. The architectural significance of this palace lies in its simplicity and strict lines. The stone facade is roughly finished in a rural style. The original building, formed by two floors and the ground floors, with only five windows on each floor, was purchased in 1550 by Eleonora da Toledo, the wife of the Grand Duke Cosimo I de'Medici, thus becoming the official residence of the family. The later rulers of these lineage are upgraded palace and arranged gardens around it (Boboli Park). Most of the upgrades date from the 17th and early 18th centuries. As regards the domestic life inside the palace, it is know that it was the home of several components of the family who were distributed in different private apartments. The rooms on the left wing belonged to the Grand Duke, while those on the right side were used by the heir. The lateral wings housed the apartments of their wives. The rooms on the second floor contained the large library, while the side rooms were used for the children. The left side on the ground floor housed the apartment that the Grand Duke used in summer. An important detail of history is the fact that Anna Maria Luisa de 'Medici (11 August 1667 - 18 February 1743) was the last heiress of the House of Medici. She was the patron of the arts, and she decided to donate the Medici's large and rich collection, including the contentsof the Uffizi, Palazzo Pitti and the Medicean villas which inherited after the death of her brother Gian Gastone in 1737, and her Palatine treasures to the Tuscan State, on the a condition that no part of it could be removed from Florence. During the nineteenth century, the Pitti Palace was used by Napoleon Bonaparte and later was the residence of the King of United Italy. In 1919, the palace, with its rich artistic treasures, was donated to the Italian people by King Vitorio III Emanuel. Today, the palace and the Boboli gardens house the Palatine Gallery, the Silver Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the Costume Gallery, the Porcelain Museum and the Museum of Carriages. They include works by Titian, Giorgione, Rafael and Rubens, among others.
2. Museo Della Moda e del Costume
3. Tesoro dei Granduchi
4. Casa Guidi
5. Porcelain Museum
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 104 reviews
Reviewed By 130Doug - Kennett Square, United States
I'd never considered a museum of porcelain before, but once we stepped inside, I was amazed at the beauty and intricacy of everything inside. It was a nice place to beat the heat, the views from the top were amazing, but it's an amazing little museum, too.
6. Museo della Moda e del Costume
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 64 reviews
Reviewed By T-SGlobetrotters - Preston, United Kingdom
This is a separate museum housed within the Pitti Palace complex, the current exhibition ‘Animalia’ covers modern Haute Couture and we loved it The costume gallery changes its exhibition every few months, the current exhibition is running until May 2019, showcasing clothes and accessories from famous fashion designers created between 2000 and 2018.The theme explores the relationship between fashion and animals with sections devoted to spiders, swans, fish, coral and several others. It is beautifully curated with artwork coordinating with the many spectacular dresses on display. In a separate room there is a display of clothes that Cosimo I and his wife Eleonora were buried in dating from the 16th century. Well done to the museum for creating a contemporary modern exhibition which contrasts well with splendid historic artwork elsewhere in the palace.
