Escape the Crowds in Florence

6 Top Reasons to Explore the Boboli Gardens

by Maureen C. Bruschi

Dazzling art and architecture flourish in Florence, Italy. Renaissance paintings and frescoes, sculptures and statues, and sacred tombs and monuments cram Tuscany’s capital. 

However when you need a break from Michelangelo’s famous David, the Baptistery’s magnificent mosaic images of Christ, or the Galleria degli Uffizi’s greatest collection of Italian Renaissance art, head to the Boboli Gardens. Tucked away behind Palazzo Pitti (Pitti Palace), you’ll be truly amazed to discover Florence’s most exquisite outdoor museum.

In the mid-16^th century, the Medici family moved into Palazzo Pitti and designed and built the gardens directly behind the palace. The Boboli Gardens were created as a site for elite parties and government receptions held by the Medici Court. (The Medici family bought the palace from banker Luca Pitti, hence the name Pitti Palace.)

Before you begin your outing to the Boboli Gardens, I have a couple of suggestions that might make your visit a little more enjoyable. First, make sure you’re wearing your favorite walking shoes. There’s plenty to see in the Medici family’s gardens and lots of uphill walking. Second, stop at the bookstore as you enter the gardens on your left and pick up the Boboli Gardens’ guidebook (well worth the 6,20 Euros). Their guidebook helps you move around the gardens efficiently and understand what you’re looking at.

Take a moment to get your bearings. The gardens are enormous, complete with fountains, statues, grottos, artificial lakes, lawns, wooded hillside pathways, and at its highest level, the Knight’s Garden and Knight’s Lodge that houses the Porcelain Museum.

You could spend anywhere from two to four hours exploring Boboli Gardens’ 111 acres of extravagantly landscaped gardens. If you only have an hour or two to spare, here are six key garden sights you won’t want to miss.

Fontana del Carciofo (Artichoke Fountain)

Stroll through Ammannati Courtyard, the inner courtyard of the Pitti Palace, and take the door leading to a large stairway. At the top of the stairway you’ll find a wide square enclosing the Fontana del Carciofo designed by Francesco Susini (1641). Tiny statues capped by a bronze artichoke decorate the fountain’s large octagonal basin.

Wander over to the terrace overlooking the fountain and glance back at Pitti Palace. You’ll notice that the fountain was designed to be level with the piano nobile windows of the Pitti Palace’s garden façade. In Renaissance buildings, the piano nobile windows indicated the enhanced status of the room compared to the floors above and below. 

Grotta del Buontalenti (Grotta Grande)

Before you explore the Amphitheatre, take the path on your left and head towards the Grotta del Buontalenti, located on the northern side of Bacchus Square. The Grotta del Buontalenti converted from a plant nursery to a grotto around 1583. The statues of Ceres and Apollo, separated by two red Monterantoli stone columns with marble bases, guard the entrance to the grotto. 

The Grotta del Buontalenti contains 3 chambers. The chambers are not always accessible to visitors. I was lucky. A guard stationed nearby unlocked the grotto’s gate and I had a chance to wander into the first and second chambers. (The third chamber was roped off.) 

In the first chamber you’ll discover copies of Michelangelo’s Prisoners in the grotto’s corners. Look closely and you’ll also notice untold stories portrayed by wall and ceiling frescoes, as well as a number of odd figures, sheep and shepherds, and stalagmites and stalactites.

In the second chamber, you’ll find Vincenzo de’ Rossi’s sculpture of Theseus and Helen (1587).  The innermost chamber houses Giambologna’s masterpiece Venus.

Grotticina di Madama (Grotto of Madam)

A narrow path from Grotta del Buontalenti will lead you to the oldest grotto in Boboli Gardens, Grotticina di Madama. Here you’ll find stalactites, wall frescoes depicting goats, and a stunning two-colored terracotta floor.

 The Amphitheatre

Head back to the terrace behind the Pitti Palace and take in the immense amphitheatre facing the palace courtyard. This horseshoe-shaped arena staged classical operas and plays. 

At the center of the amphitheatre stands an Egyptian obelisk, brought from the Villa Medici in Rome, and a granite basin taken from the Baths of Caracalla.  The Baths of Caracalla is the second largest bath complex in ancient Rome dating back to AD 211. Twenty-four statues and terracotta urns, painted to resemble marble, surround the amphitheatre.

The Forcone Basin (Neptune Fountain)

Here your walk becomes a bit of a challenge. Continue your climb to the terrace behind the Amphitheatre and you’ll pass three statues. “Ceres”, the Roman goddess of agriculture is in the middle, with “Emperor” on the right and “Togaed” on the left. Follow the steep sloping path and you’ll discover the Forcone Basin.  A bronze statue of Neptune, dating back to 1571, stands in the center of the pond. 

The Knight’s Garden and Lodge (The Porcelain Museum)

Once you past the white marbled statue of Abundance holding a bronze sheaf of wheat, you’ve made it to the top.   Take a break and enjoy a magnificent view of the Florentine hills from the Knight’s Garden and Lodge.  The Knight’s Lodge (Casino del Cavaliere) originally stored pots and vases and later became a meeting place for scholars and scientists.   Today it houses the Museo delle Porcellane (the Porcelain Museum), a collection of porcelain vases, plates and figurines dating from the 18^th century.

Time permitting, you may want to explore the Kaffeehaus, an attractive 18^th century Rococo-style  pavilion; Cypress Lane (Il Viottolone), the main path leading thorough the gardens, lined with cypresses and statues; Island Pond (Vasca dell’Isola), a small island filled with citrus plants and roses; and Meadow of Columns (Prato delle Colonne).

IF YOU GO:

For More Information:

Boboli Gardens, Piazza Pitti, 1-50125, Florence; Telephone – 055 2388786. The Boboli Gardens are located on the south bank of the river Arno near the celebrated Ponte Vecchio (Florence’s most famous bridge, known for its historical goldsmith shops). From the bridge, head up Via De’ Guicciardini to Palazzo Pitti.  Behind the palace you’ll find the gardens. 

Hours at the museum vary by season. It costs 10 Euros for entry to Boboli Gardens which includes the Museo delle Procellane. The gardens are closed the first and fourth Monday of the month and some holidays.  If you are also interested in visiting Palazzo Pitti and its museums, there are various combination tickets available.

www.firenzeturismo.it – Official Tourism Board of Florence

Getting Around: 

By Air:

Florence’s Amerigo Vespucci Airport (Peretola Airport) is only about 2.5 miles northwest of central Florence, but it is a tiny airport operated by a limited number of small international and U.S. airlines. Pisa’s Galileo Galilei Airport is about 59 miles west of Florence and is served by major European and US airlines.

By Car:

Driving in Florence is next to impossible. If you’re visiting by car, park in a garage as soon as you can or leave your car at your hotel. Boboli Gardens and the majority of Florence’s key landmarks are accessible by walking.

Where to Stay:

www.hotelboboli.com.  Hotel Boboli, Via Romana 63, Florence is a short distance from Boboli Gardens and Ponte Vecchio. Some rooms overlook the gardens.

by Maureen C. Bruschi