The Boboli Gardens in Florence is the famous park of the Italian Renaissance. It is located near the Pitti Palace, which was the residence of the Medici family. Here you can admire sculptures and magnificent fountains, enjoy your holiday in the shade of centuries-old trees. The park offers a magnificent panorama of the city of Florence. What are the interesting Boboli Gardens?
The idea of creating a park
In the 16th century, the Duke Cosimo Ι Medici acquired real estate - the Pitti Palace, behind which a large hill began, and from its top a picturesque view was opened. When examining the acquired possessions, the wife of the Duke Eleanor came up with the idea to create in the undeveloped territory behind the palace a magnificent and luxurious park that would emphasize the wealth of the Medici family.
The sculptors participated in the creation of the garden and park ensemble: Tribolo Niccolo, Ammanati Bartolomeo, Vasari Giorgio, Parisi Giulio, Parisi Alfonso, Buonaleti Bernardo.
It was Boboli Gardens in Florence that became a model in the design of many of the royal European parks.
The doctors were constantly improving the garden, enriching its territory. Over time, among the meadows, small groves and winding alleys, decorative complexes appeared. So the open-air museum was formed.
Location and features of the park
The park is located on Boboli Hill in the Pitti Palace. It is a work of landscape art of the 16th century.
The park is shared by long and wide, gravelly paths. It is decorated with statues, decorative elements made of stone, fountains. It is divided into public and partially private zones - grottoes, open garden and park gazebos.
Destination
At all times in its history, Boboli Gardens have been a venue for a variety of events. For example, during the time of the Medici, theatrical performances and magnificent receptions were held here.
For the first time in history, an opera performance was staged in the amphitheater of the park. Soon, all the noble inhabitants of Tuscany came to listen to opera performances.
The amphitheater is also interesting in that it has an Egyptian sculpture, which was brought from Luxor.
History
The park was laid in 1649 at the direction of Eleanor, wife of the Duke Cosimo Ι. Initially, the gardener Tribolo Niccolo worked on the garden, but a year after his death, Ammanati Bartolomeo set to work, he was the creator of the Neptune fountain and amphitheater. Most of the park grottoes were created by Vasari Giorgio, beautiful and majestic sculptures created by Buontalenti Bernardo.
Over the years, the owners changed at the palace, the Medici were replaced by the Dukes of Lorraine. Together with the owners, the Boboli Gardens of Florence changed, the park territory expanded, the park was improved, the collection of sculptures was replenished.
For a wide range of visitors, the park was opened in 1766. Since then, all the noble and famous people of Europe and the world have sought to visit him. It is known that here, along with his wife, Fyodor Dostoevsky loved to walk.
Present
Boboli Gardens underwent reconstruction several times. The park got its modern look in the 17th century. Its area is 4.5 hectares. Currently, it is a garden sculpture museum, which presents both antique statues and sculptural works of the 16-17th centuries.
The territory of the park is divided into paths and axle alleys. The main trail, seated with cypresses and centuries-old oaks, begins at the amphitheater and extends to the back of the palace. In the amphitheater there is an obelisk brought from Egypt. There is a Neptune fountain on the trail, several statues are located nearby, a little further is a staircase, climbing which leads to a hill with muses. A little further is a sculptural composition - "Dwarf on a turtle", which depicts the court jester of the Medici. Opposite the sculpture is the entrance to the Big Grotto of the park, or the Buonalenti Grotto, its external decoration resembles a cave with stalactites, inside the grotto consists of three rooms, one of which contains a copy of Michelangelo's work “Slaves”.
Going further along the path, you can get into the Garden of Jupiter, where you can relax at the Atishok fountain, near a small horseshoe-shaped amphitheater, admire the statue of Jupiter.
On one of the terraces there is a Cavallier garden, which attracts tourists with amazing flowers: here in April peonies bloom, and in May roses are pleasing to visitors.
Along the alley, twined with myrtle and ivy, you can get to the southern part of the garden, where greenhouses with ancient and rare varieties of roses are broken, citrus trees grow in tubs, statues of Andromeda and Perseus are installed.
In the northern part of Boboli Gardens there is a panoramic platform and a coffee house, which was built in the 18th century.
In the park, and now often theatrical performances and concerts are held. Despite the fact that most of the sculptures are replaced by copies, and the originals are stored in special storage facilities, they still have considerable historical value.
Grottoes
Interesting works of landscape art in the Boboli Gardens (Florence) are the grottoes, there are four of them:
1. Buontalenti Grotto, or Big Grotto. The facade is decorated with stucco molding, the rooms are painted with frescoes and decorated with sculptures, the most famous of them: a copy of Michelangelo's “Slaves”, Giamboloni's “Bathing Venus”, Vincenzo de Rossi “Paris and Elena”.
2. The Small Grotto, or Madama’s Grotto, created by Buontalenti Bernardo for biblical reasons.
3. The grotto of Moses, created by Ammanati Bartolomeo on biblical themes.
4. The grotto of Adam and Eve, built in 1817.
Boboli Gardens (Florence): Attractions
Of all the many attractions of the park, you should certainly pay attention to:
- Buontalenti grotto;
- the sculpture "Dwarf on the turtle" - photos against the background of this sculpture are made mainly by all visitors, most of the tourists' reviews of Boboli Gardens in Florence tell about this sculpture of the park;
- Cavalieri garden with magnificent and impressive rose gardens;
- Neptune Fountain (also called the "Fountain with a Fork");
- Isolotto island on a lake with greenhouses;
- a coffee house and an observation deck;
- Amphitheater with dramatic or musical performances.
Terraces, greenhouses, flowerbeds, alleys and labyrinths - there is something to see and where to spend time. In the magnificent Boboli Gardens in Florence, several dozen sculptures, among them works of the Renaissance, Baroque, Classicism. A ticket is attached to the ticket, according to which it is very easy to navigate in the park and find any object of interest.
Opening hours
Boboli Gardens is open to the public every day. Entrance to the park is allowed from the moment of opening (8:15) and an hour before closing. Opening hours of Boboli Gardens in Florence:
- in winter (November to February) the park is open until 16:30;
- in March, the park increases working hours by an hour and is open until 17:30;
- from April to May - until 18:30;
- from June to August - until 19:30;
- from September to October - until 18:30;
- from October to November - until 17:30.
The park is closed for maintenance on the first and last Monday of the month.
You can get to the Buonalenti Grotto only with escort of the park workers and at certain hours, which can be checked out at the box office. For example, from April to September, the grotto is open to visitors 5 times a day: 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, 16:00, 17:00.
Tickets for Boboli Gardens (Florence)
Those wishing to visit the park can purchase tickets. There are two types of them: the first one can be taken with a tour of the Pitti Palace, the second one gives you the opportunity to walk around the park and visit the palazzo expositions.
Tickets: the first type - 7 euros (a little less than 500 rubles at the end of October 2017), the second type of ticket –10 euros (683 rubles), children - 3.5 euros (about 250 rubles).
For preferential categories of citizens a discount of up to 50% is provided.
Tourists reviews
Many tourists who visited this amazing and beautiful place, note that the gardens are very impressive for their magnificence, there is an amazing combination of nature, history, architecture and art. You can spend the whole day in the park. Many tourists really like the observation deck, which offers a picturesque panoramic view of Florence. Many advise you to visit the Big Grotto and the Museum of Porcelain.
