Palazzo Pitti, Renaissance palace in Oltrarno, Florence, Italy
Palazzo Pitti is a large 15th-century building in the historic center of Florence that now houses several museums. The facade shows three floors of rough stone blocks and windows that repeat across the entire width.
Construction began in 1458 for banker Luca Pitti to display his wealth. After his death, Duchess Eleonora di Toledo bought the palace in 1550 and made it the residence of the Medici family.
The name Pitti comes from the banking family who commissioned this building as a symbol of their power. Today visitors walk through rooms that once served as private ducal apartments, now filled with paintings and art objects.
The complex includes five museums with collections of silver, costumes, modern art, carriages, and porcelain spread across multiple floors. A visit requires several hours if you want to see all areas.
The Ammannati courtyard was flooded to nearly two metres for a mock naval battle between twenty Turkish and Christian ships, staged for the Medici court. Giuseppe Ruggieri later added the two side wings that frame piazza Pitti.
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