Vasariano - Marks Meanderings

The world-renowned Uffizi Gallery is home to an extensive collection of art, ancient statues and historical artefacts. Throw in names like Vasari, Leonardo, Raphael, Caravaggio, Michelangelo, and Botticelli and it is easy to see why it ranks so highly in Italy’s attractions, coming second only to the Colosseum in Rome each year.

Construction of the Uffizi Gallery was commissioned in 1560. Although the art draws you in, I’m equally fascinated by its origins and links to the Medici family. These links are perhaps unknown to many but provide a level of intrigue. Join me as I explore its origins and the vast and expansive collection of art.

Uffizi origins

I doubt many know that the Uffizi Gallery they visit today wasn’t built to display art. In 1560 the first Grand Duke of Tuscany (Cosimo I) commissioned the building of the “Uffizi”. Its original purpose was to house the administrative and judiciary offices of Florence.

My Italian lessons continue as I find out that “Uffizi” means offices. Cosimo commissioned his favourite architect (Vasari – remember the rooms in Palazzo Vecchio, the rebuild of Palazzo Pitti and the Vasari corridor) to design them.

To build these new offices, space was needed for the huge complex. Local buildings were pulled down which included the ancient and Romanesque church, San Pier Scheraggio. After Vasari’s death in 1574 the offices were completed in 1581 by architects Buontalenti and Parigi.

Cosimo also instructed that a corridor be built linking the offices and his new residence at Palazzo Pitti. In the post regarding Ponte Vecchio, I discovered that the corridor was named after the man who constructed it – the Vasari corridor.

The corridor took just 5 months to complete and was built to celebrate the marriage between Cosimo’s son Francesco to Giovanna d’Austria in 1565. When visiting the Palazzo Vecchio, you’ll discover that the courtyard behind the main entrance was refurbished by Vasari and decorated in time for their nuptials.

Francesco (Cosimo’s eldest son) was to become the next Duke of Tuscany after his father. He ruled the grand duchy from 1574 until his death in 1587. It was Francesco who decided to set up a private gallery within the Uffizi. This was to house the vastly expanding collection of statues and other precious objects belonging to the Medici family.

The location chosen was the top floor of the east wing. The main room of this private area was the octagonal room called the Tribuna, built by Bernardo Buontalenti in 1584. The stunning room is adorned with thousands of shells on the inside of the dome.

“Uffizi” a museum

Florence is so rich in art, and this is due to one person. This is because the last remaining member of the Medici family, Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici (sister to the last male Medici Gian Gastone), signed the ‘family pact’. This was an agreement that was made with the new ruling family of Tuscany the Habsburg-Lorraine.

Anna was forward thinking; she saw the value in the art but wondered how it could attract the curiosity of foreigners. You might say she saw the future for the whole of Florence. Her stipulation in the pact was that the art and treasure collected by her family over the centuries should remain in Florence.

It was 16 years after her death that doors of the offices/gallery were opened to the public viewing under the instruction of Grand Duke Peter Leopold. So out of the original administrative offices was born the Uffizi Gallery Museum.

Adoration of the Child and archangel Gabriel

The Uffizi Gallery

Walking around the gallery is a breathtaking experience. I was immediately blown away by the incredible number of statues from Roman times. There are portraits of Agrippa, Nero, Antoninus Pius, Septimius Severus & Marcus Aurelius, to name a few. You could be easily confused, thinking you were in Rome and not Florence.

Whenever one visits a grand building, it is advisable to look up. The beautifully painted ceilings in the corridor of statues add to the majestic atmosphere. At the tops of the walls before the beautiful ceiling there is a fascinating collection of portraits. Some of the portraits look recognisable. Names on the portraits are in Italian. My Italian being non-existent, I would take a guess that some of the kings of England are on display.

The hordes kept piling in. Taking time to appreciate the display of paintings and statues was not easy nor, in the end, was it particularly enjoyable. I’m not sure when the best time would be to visit. I was sufficed with picking out bits of art and rooms that seemed to be ignored.

My fascination with the Medici family continued as I came across two portraits of the famous original members of the family – Cosimo the elder & Lorenzo the magnificent. Another name that has been discovered in these travels was Eleonora of Toledo. She also features in another painting.

Portrait of Eleonora di Toledo with her son Giovanni

Vasari Corridor

The Vasari corridor reopened at the end of 2024 after an 8-year closure. Access to the corridor is through the Gallery of Statues and Paintings. Tickets must be pre-purchased. To walk the corridor is a brilliant opportunity to follow the footsteps of the Medici family. Though bland internally it provides fascinating insight into history and unique viewing points of the city. It is approximately 750m long. The end of the corridor brings you out next to the Grand Gotto in the Boboli Gardens.

Uffizi Gallery Conclusions

Without doubt the Uffizi Gallery is a must see when visiting Florence. Though the rooms and corridors that house the art are impressive they are made so by the art that adorns them. A debate about the most impressive rooms in Florence would include mention of Palazzo Vecchio and Pitti Palace. Those in Uffizi may not be as high on the list.

That said, the collection of ancient statues is incredibly fascinating. It whetted the appetite to delve into Rome and Roman history.

The Cosimo and Vasari combine again to deliver a symbol of Florence. Though not their original plans I think everyone who visits fully appreciates the work.

So, the Uffizi can be put on a list of the great art museums around the world. The Vatican, the Louvre, the Rijksmuseum, the MET & the National Gallery, etc. could all lay claim to being the best art gallery. I will leave that debate for another day, or another post.

Ponte Vecchio is one of the most iconic symbols of Florence. The beautiful bridge is translated to ‘Old Bridge’, but at times may have been referred to as ‘Florence’s bridge of Gold’. Overflowing with character, beautiful to view, etched in history and with a whiff of romance in the air, it draws the inevitable crowd.

My journey through Florence has taken me to churches, art galleries, restaurants and palaces. In my recent visit to Palazzo Vecchio, I learned, and you may recall, that ‘Vecchio’ means Old. A quick search immediately informs me that ‘Ponte’ means bridge.

Ponte Vecchio embodies the spirit of Florence. Its beauty, architecture, resistance, history, character and secret passage will all be explored in this blog.

Ponte Vecchio history

Ponte Vecchio crosses over the narrowest point of the River Arno. The River Arno is the largest river in the region and second most important river in central Italy after the Tiber. It runs from its source in the mountains close to the Tuscan and Emilia-Romagna border. The Arno flows across Tuscany to the Ligurian Sea at Pisa.

The Arno River, whilst I have always seen it looking peaceful in Florence, has an historic aggressive side to it. The river destroyed the original bridges when it burst its banks in 1333. That resulted in a new bridge being commissioned. The bridge took 5 years to be built and was completed in 1345. The bridge is an outstanding engineering achievement confirmed in that it still stands to this day.

Over the centuries Ponte Vecchio became a desirable meeting point, a place that has constantly evolved. Shops were constructed on the bridge to accommodate butchers, tanners, fish mongers, leather artisans, jewelers who plied their trade on the bridge which has always bustled with people.

The powerful Medici family has left evidence of its presence all over the city. Ponte Vecchio is no exception. I will explore this further in the blog, but Cosimo 1^st instructed his architect to build a “secret passage” that connected Palazzo Vecchio with Palazzo Pitti.

During World War II, when the German army was retreating from the British Army, Ponte Vecchio was not destroyed unlike all the other bridges in Florence. Rumours are that Hitler himself gave orders that the bridge was not to be destroyed. Instead, the buildings at each end of Ponte Vecchio were destroyed to halt the British advance.

In 1966 the Arno overflowed its banks. This tragic event killed over a hundred people and did so much damage and destruction to the city. Incredibly the bridge survived to tell another tale, so to speak, having been completely (shops as well) submerged under torrents of water.

Today Ponte Vecchio is now a must see for all visitors. The bridge is always packed with crowds. Romance sometimes feels in the air. It is a perfect spot to enjoy views of the River Arno and the City of Florence. Good are on sale in the shops. Although the gold trade may have diminished the sale of jewellery continues.

Ponte Vecchio Architecture

Taddeo Gaddi (a pupil of Giotto), it is believed, was designer and builder of Ponte Vecchio. Ponte Vecchio consists of 3 shallow segmental arches, a breakaway in design from the classical Roman bridge design.

The middle of the three arches is the largest with a 30m span and the arches either side spanning 27m. The 14^th century bridge is constructed out of stone. There are two islands in the middle of the bridge to support the arches. My research and studies teach me that these islands are often referred to as piers. They are connected to the riverbed by oak piles then surrounded by concrete and stone. The two piers feature triangular prows which assist in deflecting the river’s flow.

The bridge soon became the location of a medieval marketplace. One can imagine the frenzy on the bridge as ‘wheeling and dealing’ took place.

A byproduct of the marketplace was the smell of the goods sold there! Grand Duke Ferdinando I de’ Medici (1587-1609) was not happy with it and took merciless action. He sent the vendors away and instructed that the only shops allowed were goldsmiths and jewellers. Thus, the appellation ‘the bridge of gold’ was born. 48 shops grace the bridge. Trade is still common practice to this day, but only gold and jewellery are permitted there.

My research has also highlighted that the design of Ponte Vecchio may have inspired the ‘Pultney Bridge in Bath, England. Surely a reason to revisit Bath and explore the similarities. Both bridges just mentioned are part of 4 in the world that have shops across its full span on both sides (the other two being in Venice – Italy and Erfurt – Germany).

Benvenuto Cellini

Benvenuto Cellini was a 16^th century artist who started his career as a goldsmith and is honoured with a bronze bust sitting on a fountain in the middle of the bridge. Someone else I never knew existed! This educational journey makes that short lived.

An internet search informs me who he was. Not much of his work survives, which is perhaps why he is a little less known. He was a creator of a couple of famous pieces – the first one is a magnificent gold salt cellar made for Francis I of France, now in Vienna. Can’t remember seeing that in my visit.

The second is one that I have seen in Florence. This is the bronze statue of Perseus holding the head of Medusa. It now stands in the Loggia dei Lanzi which is very visible in the south corner of Piazza Signoria close to the entrance of Palazzo Vecchio.

Looking at Benvenuto Cellini and the River Arno

Vasari Corridor

The most eye-catching modification to the bridge came in the sixteenth century. Cosimo I de’ Medici instructed Giorgio Vasari to construct a corridor connecting Palazzo Vecchio and Uffizi Gallery with the Palazzo Pitti.

This corridor provided Cosimo and his successors (and their families) private access between their private residence (Pitti) and the city’s government building (Vecchio). The corridor was filled with paintings and busts of significant figures from Florentine history. This was done to show status, wealth and power.

The corridor recently opened after refurbishment and is very bland and empty, which is in stark contrast to Cosimo’s Walk. Access to the corridor is gained through the Uffizi Gallery.

View of Ponte Vecchio from Vasari Corridor

Conclusions

In conclusion Ponte Vecchio cannot be missed on a visit to Florence. Not many do miss it as it is always crowded with tourists. I prefer to view the bridge from different points around the city.

I found the Vasari corridor intriguing. How many know about the ‘secret passage’, I’m not sure.

Ponte Vecchio has played an important role in the history of the city, providing a path over the River Arno. The famous bridge has evolved over time, from a thriving marketplace to a refined, gold trading outlet.

It has withstood the power of nature and survived the bleak periods in the history of Florence. I’m sure it would have many stories to tell. My preference is viewing it from afar. Everybody flocks to Piazzale Michelangelo for a view of the bridge and city. The views here are stunning but I prefer to find a less crowded viewpoint.

My favourite so far has been in a nearby restaurant with an outside seating area overlooking the river. As I sip on some wine, the sun beats down and the bridge displays a kaleidoscope of colour. The golden moment is beautifully reflected in the peaceful Arno beneath. I ponder the need to revisit Bath to view a similar example. Then I consider if Ponte Vecchio is up there with some of the great bridges around the world. Maybe a different type of blog to write in the future.

Tag: Vasariano

Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy

Uffizi origins

“Uffizi” a museum

The Uffizi Gallery

Vasari Corridor

Uffizi Gallery Conclusions

Ponte Vecchio, Florence, Italy

Ponte Vecchio history

Ponte Vecchio Architecture

Benvenuto Cellini

Vasari Corridor

Conclusions