Boboli Gardens, Florence

Boboli Gardens

The Boboli Gardens are one of the most important Italian gardens and a fantastic open-air museum that embraces another site of culture in Florence, the Pitti Palace.

More than a garden, more than just a “green lung” in Florence, this gorgeous park in the heart of Florence takes your breath away and brings to mind the splendor of the life of the Grand Dukes of Tuscany.

Palazzo Vecchio Salone dei Cinquecento by Bruna Benvegnu

The Battle of Marciano

The Battle of Marciano (La battaglia di Marciano) is a huge, impressive fresco painted by the Italian architect, historian, painter, and writer Giorgio Vasari in 1565 for Cosimo I de’ Medici in the Hall of the Five Hundred in Palazzo Vecchio.

The exact name of the painting, which plays a key role in Dan Brown’s 2013 novel Inferno, is The victory of Cosimo I at Marciano in Val di Chiana (La vittoria di Cosimo I a Marciano in Val di Chiana).

Lorenzo il Magnifico by Riccardo M

Lorenzo The Magnificent

Lorenzo de’ Medici (January 1, 1449 – April 9, 1492) – called Il Magnifico (The Magnificent) – is probably the most well-known member of the Medici family; he was the son of Piero de’ Medici and Lucrezia Tornabuoni and the grandson of Cosimo the Elder.

He was a magnate, diplomat, politician, and patron of scholars, artists, and poets. He is well known for his contribution to the art world by sponsoring artists such as Botticelli and Michelangelo. His life coincided with the mature phase of Italian Renaissance, and his death coincided with the end of the Golden Age of Florence.

Fort Belvedere: the main building

Fort Belvedere

Fort Belvedere, located on the southern hills of the Arno River (specifically, on the highest hill of Boboli Gardens) in the Quarter of San Niccolò, is often referred to as «the most beautiful terrace in Florence». It is the second largest fortress to be built in Florence and was once connected to Palazzo Vecchio via the Vasari Corridor. From here, Robert Langdon, the main character in Dan Brown’s Inferno, would have the best panoramic view of Florence, the city in which his adventure in Italy begins.

Portrait of Bianca Cappello, Florence

The Duchess Bianca Cappello

Bianca Cappello (1548, Venice – October 20, 1587, Poggio, near Florence) was an Italian noblewoman and the daughter of Bartolomeo Cappello and Pellegrina Morosini. Both of her parents belonged to the oldest and most famous families in the Venetian aristocracy.

She was renowned for her beauty and intelligence, and her court intrigues were the most scandalous of her time. Her life is known through a mix of history and legend.