Palazzo Vecchio

The fresco shows Piazza della Signoria in 1558 with the firework display held there to mark the feast of the city's patron Saint. The square has its original paving of brick framed in stone. Palazzo Vecchio on the left has stone arengario platform, in front of it that was demolished in 1312.

Apartments of the Elements

The visit on the second floor begins with the Apartments of the Elements. These rooms were the private rooms of Cosimo I.

All the rooms on the 2nd floor are decorated with allegorical frescoes and are named with depiction of the origins of the four elements, air, water, fire, and earth which sprung from the seed of Uranus scattered by Saturn, and carried on in the other rooms dedicated to Saturn's wife, the goddess Opis, and to the two deities' descendants.

Allegory fresco of Fire with the Forge of Vulcan. by Cristofano Gherardi, Circa 1555

Close look at the Forge of Vulcan.

At the bottom of the fresco is the marble fireplace with the inscription: Cosimo I de Medici designed by Bartolemeo Ammanatio who also created the Fountain of Neptune in the Piazza.

Allegory of the earth with the first fruits from earth offered to Saturn circa, 1555-1557 by Giorgio Vasari.

Saturn (cronos for the Greeks) is seated in the middle. He is the god of sowing and the protector of agriculture is offered by men and women the first fruits of earth, flowers, honey.

On the ceiling is the allegor of Air-Mutilation of Uranus by Giorgio Vasari.

Armed with an iron sickle provided to him by his mother Gaea, Saturn prepares to castrate his father Uranus in a literal bloody coup to over the cosmos. He tossed the severed testicles into the sea which turned into sea foam from which was born Aphrodite. The blood which fell to earth gave birth to the Furies, Giants and the Meliads (nymphs of the Ash Tree).

Allegory of Water-Birth of Venus fresco by Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574)

Botticelli's birth of Venus was the source for the scallop shells, and Vasari borrowed from the Medici Venus and Praxiteles "Aphrodite for the shape of the female bodies.

Terrace of Saturn and Study of Minerva.

The terrace is dedicated to Saturn, god of Time, who devoured all his children to ensure that they would not topple him from his throne. The only one he did not manage to eat was Jupiter, whole mother Opis used deception to save him.

Amazing view from the terrace with typical Tuscany scene.

In the ceiling the allegories of the four ages of man and hours of the day on the ceiling allude to the god of Time.

The ceiling is under renovation.

View of the city.

In the distance you can see the bell tower of the Abbey Fiorentina.

Room of Hercules

In the Greek mythology, Hercules was the son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmene, thus earning the undying hatred of Jupiter's wife Juno. She attempted to kill him by having two snakes places in this cradle. Endowed with superhuman strength, Hercules is celebrated for his countless heroic deeds, especially the "12 labors".

Room overview.

In the center of the ceiling is a painting of baby Hercules strangles the snakes Juno had placed in his cradle.

Walnut table Florentine, 17th century, walnut purchased on the antique market (1915)

Cabinet with birds, flowers and fruits compositions from the Florentine grand-ducal workshop, to a design by Leonard Van der Vinner (1660-1680).

Ebony with marquetry and semi-precious stone inlay on permanent loan from the State Art Galleries in Florence (1911).

Room of Jupiter

The room of Jupiter, son of Saturn and Opis and father of all the gods, lies immediately above the room of Cosimos I.

Ceiling fresco showing the young Jupiter brought up by nymphs an suckled by the goat Amalthea.

Cabinet with flowers and birds, Late 17th century, ebony inlaid with semi precious stones and gilded bronze. On permanent loan from the State Art Galleries in Florence (1911)+

Room of Ceres and Study of Calliope

The room of Ceres is dedicated to the daughter of Saturn and Opis, the goddess of agriculture.

Panel ceiling in the room of Ceres and study of Calliope

Apartments of Eleonora

The first thing you see is the private chapel of the Duchess Eleonora of Toledo, built by walling off the first bay of an existing room (1539-1540) and decorated by Agnolo Bronzino at intervals between 1540 and 1565, is one of the loftiest masterpieces of Florentine Mannerism.

The three walls with their stories of Moses presaging Christ's sacrifice and the mystery of the Eucharist, points to the link between the Old and New Testaments

Deposition of Christ on oil and wood.

Room of the Sabines

Latin historian Livy tells us that after founding Rome, King Romulus deceitfully abducted the womenfolk of the neighboring Sabine tribes and brought them to his new city. The Sabines declared war on Rome, but their women, led by Ersilia who had married Romulus, averted the clash between the two peoples by entering the fray and calling for peace.

The episode, depicted in the center of the ceiling, celebrates the womanly virtue of mediation.

Closer view of the painting by Giorgio and Giovanni Stradano, Circa 1561-1562

The Sabine Women make peace between their own people and the Romans.

Madonna and Child by Francesco Curradi, Circa 1590-1600

Room of Esther

The poet Homer tells us in the Odyssey that during the long voyage of Penelope's husband Ulysses, king of Ithaca, Penelope managed to avoid remarrying by postponing her choice of suitor until she had finished a piece of cloth which she wove during the day and secretly unravelled at night.

The episode, depicted in the centre of the ceiling, celebrates marital fidelity and extolls the role of the woman who attends to matters at home while her husband is away at war. The frieze shows

Ceiling overview.

Chapel of the Priors

A chapel intended to the priprs and dedicated to St Bernard. The Priors met there to pray before meeting in the courtroom to make their decisions public.

Ridolfo, son of Domenico Ghirlandaio was commissed to decorate it in 1514.

Ridolfo decorated it with religious themes, scrolls, Florentine emblems and ornamental motifs on a gold background imitating mosaic work.

The Holy Trinity and the four Evangelist.

Rooftop view of the city from inside the Palazzo.

We are now leaving the Palazzo.

NEXT.... Day 2-Lunch at All'Antico Vinaio