Perseus with the Head of Medusa, Bronze statue in Loggia dei Lanzi, Florence, Italy.
Perseus with the Head of Medusa is a bronze figure in the Loggia dei Lanzi on Piazza della Signoria in Florence, Italy. The sculpture shows the hero in a triumphant pose, raising the severed head of the Gorgon while her decapitated body lies under his feet.
Cosimo I de Medici commissioned Benvenuto Cellini in 1545 to create this work, aiming to anchor the power of the Medici family in the public space of Florence. Cellini worked nine years on the bronze casting and completed the sculpture in 1554.
The figure wears winged sandals and holds a magic bag alongside the invisibility helmet, which in Greek legend gave the hero the power to defeat Medusa. Visitors notice these details when they step close to the work and examine the individual attributes.
The work stands under the open Loggia dei Lanzi, allowing visitors to view it from all sides, even in rain. The north side displays the finest modeling of the pedestal with four smaller figures, best seen in the morning light.
Cellini cast the entire work in a single pour, which was considered almost impossible for the size and complexity of the piece at the time. He invented a temperature control system for the molten metal by throwing all available wooden furniture from his house into the furnace to reach the necessary heat.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
