Audio File length: 2.47
Author: STEFANO ZUFFI E DAVIDE TORTORELLA
English / USA Language: English / USA

The Tribunal was designed at the end of the 16th century to display the treasures of the Medici collections with the utmost brilliance. Over the centuries it has continued to be a treasure chest, although its main paintings have been moved to other rooms. You will be struck by the richness of the furnishings and the furniture covered in pietra dura panels, and you'll fully appreciate the spectacle of the antique sculptures amidst the mid-16th century paintings, including various portraits of the Medici family by Agnolo Bronzino. In the middle you can admire the marble Venus de' Medici, a Roman copy of a first century BC original by Prassitele. But don't just look straight ahead, look up! You'll see that the vaulted ceiling is covered with a magnificent motif of mother-of-pearl shells.

FUN FACT: the Venus de' Medici in the center of the Tribunal has always been considered a masterpiece of classical sculpture and a model of elegance thanks to the modest gesture of her hands covering her private parts.

When Napoleon took the Venus and brought it to the Louvre, to console the Florentines for their loss the great sculptor Antonio Canova sculpted the Italic Venus in similar dimensions and with a similar gesture. You can see it at Palazzo Pitti, where it was moved when the ancient Venus was returned to the Uffizi.

 

 

 

Scarica MyWoWo! La Travel App che ti racconta le meraviglie del mondo!

Share on