Palazzo Pitti — The Medici's Last Home Across the Arno

At a Glance

Palazzo Pitti sits in Florence's Oltrarno neighbourhood, across the Arno. Home successively to the Medici, Lorraine grand dukes, and Savoy royals, the palace now houses six museums under one roof—the Palatine Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art, Museum of Fashion and Costume, Treasury of the Grand Dukes, Royal Apartments, and the Boboli Gardens. Don't try to do it all in a day; pick your theme first.

From a Merchant's Pride to a Royal Seat

Florentine merchant Luca Pitti began the palace in the 15th century to outbuild the Medici. He went bankrupt mid-construction, and in 1549 Eleonora di Toledo, wife of Cosimo I, bought the palace—moving the Medici in. Later expansions made it the official royal residence, connected to the Uffizi by the Vasari Corridor. Lorraine and Savoy rulers continued to live here into the 19th century.

Must-See Works

• Palatine Gallery — Raphael's Veiled Woman (La Velata), Portrait of Maddalena Doni.
• Titian — La Bella and other Venetian portraits.
• Caravaggio — Sleeping Cupid.
• Rubens — Consequences of War, a monumental allegory.
• Boboli Gardens — the prototype of the Italian formal garden, scattered with the Amphitheatre, Neptune Fountain, and the Porcelain Museum.
• Treasury of the Grand Dukes with Medici jewels and plate.

Visiting Tips

For paintings, do the Palatine Gallery and Royal Apartments upstairs first. For gardens and sculpture, go Boboli Gardens → Porcelain Museum. A combined Giardini + Musei ticket covers both sides. The Vasari Corridor requires a separate reservation and isn't always open—check the official site. Five minutes' walk from Ponte Vecchio; early morning or late afternoon gives the best light.