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• What to See
• Pitti Palace

The Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens

This enormous palace is one of Florence's largest architectural monuments. The original palazzo was built for the Pitti family in 1457 , designed by Filippo Brunelleschi and built by his pupil Luca Fancelli. The original construction consisted of only the middle cube of the present building (the middle seven windows on the top floor). In 1549, the property was sold to the Medicis and became the primary residence of the grand ducal family. The palace was then enlarged and altered; from 1560, Bartolomeo Ammannati designed and added the grandiose courtyard and two lateral wings.

Hours and Admission

Check the box on the right → for opening hours and admission cost to better plan your visit to the Pitti Palace!

Under Cosimo II de' Medici, the layout of the piazza and opening up of the view were begun. The facade then assumed its present appearance, except for the two projecting wings, added by the House of Lorraine in the early 18 th century. Behind the palace lie the famous Boboli Gardens .

Today, the Pitti Palace houses some of the most important museums in Florence: on the first floor is the Palatine Gallery , containing a broad collection 16 th and 17 th century paintings (including works by Raphael), and the Royal Apartments , containing furnishings from a remodeling done in the 19 th century.

Guided Tour of Palazzo Pitti

The art collection in the Palatine Gallery is enormous! Visiting in the company of a tour guide is a good idea if you want to focus on the highlights. This 2 hour guided tour does just that, taking you to see the main works in the Palatine Gallery and Royal Apartments.

Check out Splendors of the Royal Residence for more details.

On the ground floor and mezzanine is the Treasury of the Grand Dukes (formerly known as the the Silver Museum or Museo degli Argenti ) displaying a vast collection of Medici household treasures, from table silverware to precious stone vases, rock crystals and precious jewelry.

The Gallery of Modern Art is on the top floor, holding a collection of mostly Tuscan 19 th and 20 th century paintings.

In the separate Palazzina del Cavaliere on the upper slopes of the Boboli Gardens is the Porcelain Museum , while the Palazzina of the Meridiana contains the Museum of Costume and Fashion (formerly just called the Costume Gallery ), a showcase of the fashions of the past 300 years.

The Pitti Palace museums have finally created a single ticket and made opening times the same for all museums to simplify the life and itineraries of all visitors! :) Entrance to the Boboli Gardens, the Porcelain Museum and Bardini Gardens remains as a separate ticket. More details on these last at the end of this article.

The Palatine Gallery and Royal Apartments

The Palatine Gallery occupies the whole left wing of the first floor of the Pitti Palace, which was the residence of the Medici Grand Dukes. In 1828, when Tuscany came under the rule of the Lorraine family, the most important paintings in the Palace were hung in the Gallery and opened it was opened to the public. It is an impressive collection comprising works by Raphael , Titian , Correggio , Rubens , Pietro da Cortona and other Italian and European masters of the Renaissance and Baroque periods . Continue reading about the Palatine Gallery and the Royal Apartments here .

The Gallery of Modern Art

The Gallery of Modern Art , located on the second floor of the Pitti Palace, has a fine collection of paintings and sculpture, mostly Italian, dating from the late 18 th century to World War I. The elegant rooms, which were inhabited by the Lorraine grand dukes, are decorated with works of the neo-classical and romantic periods. There is also a splendid collection of works by artists of the Macchiaioli movement and of other Italian schools of the later 19 th and early 20 th centuries.

The Treasury of the Grand Dukes (formerly the "Museo degli Argenti" or Silver Museum)

The Museum houses an extraordinarily rich collection of precious objects , many of which were commissioned by members of the Medici family. The works of art range from Florentine workmanship to other schools and countries and include rock crystal vases and works in pietre dure (semi-precious stones), ivory, gems, ambers, silver, cameos, carpets, clocks and chinoiserie. The silverware comes from the "Salzburg Treasure", collections that belonged to the Bishops of Salzburg and which made their way to Florence through the Grand Duke Ferdinand III of the Habsburg-Lorraines. The museum also includes a remarkable collection of jewels from the 17th to 20th century, including contemporary jewelry.

Guided Tour of Palazzo Pitti, Boboli & Oltrarno

If you'd love a visit of the main works in the Palatine Gallery and Royal Apartments, plus the Boboli Gardens and a bit of the Oltrarno neighborhood, check out this family-friendly tour of Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli Gardens for more details.

The Museum is situated in the left wing of the Pitti Palace on the ground floor and in the first mezzanine. The state rooms, which formed part of the grand-ducal summer apartment, are decorated with important 17th-century frescoes by Giovanni da San Giovanni where the theme is the evocation through mythology of Medici history at the time of Lorenzo the Magnificent.

The Museum of Costume and Fashion (formerly Costume Gallery)

The Museum of Costume and Fashion occupies the 18 th century Palazzina della Meridiana, along the southern back wing of the Pitti Palace overlooking the Boboli Gardens. It was the first Italian state museum of the history of fashion in Italy and is one of the most important in the world. The collection comprises 6,000 items including costumes dating from the 18 th to the 20 th centuries, famous costumes worn in important movies and in theatrical works, accessories and an extremely rare exhibit of 16th century garments worn by Grand Duke Cosimo I de' Medici, his wife Eleanor of Toledo and their young son Garcia. A selection of the collections is exhibited on rotation which is replaced every three years but there are also frequent special temporary exhibitions devoted to particular aspects of the collection. 

The Boboli Gardens

These gardens comprise the largest monumental green area in Florence. Their history goes back over four centuries, for Cosimo I commissioned the designs from Niccolo Pericoli, known as Tribolo, in 1549. Work was continued by Ammannati, Buontalenti and Parigi the Younger. Noteworthy places are: Buontalenti's Grotto (1583), the Amphitheather with the Roman basin and the Egyptian obelisk at the center, Neptune's Fishpond, the statue of Plenty by Giambologna and Tacca (1563), the Grand Duke's Casino, the Cavalier's Garden, Parigi's Fountain of the Ocean.

Read the article dedicated to the Boboli gardens for more details and photographs.

The Porcelain Museum

The Porcelain Museum was a section of the Silver Museum and was situated in the mezzanine of the Pitti Palace until 1973 when the collection was transferred to the Casino del Cavaliere at the top of the Boboli gardens' slopes. Built in the 18th century as a retreat for the Grand Duke, the Casino has proved a particularly ideal setting for the conservation and display of this collection.

The collection consists mainly of table porcelain used by the Grand Ducal and Royal Houses of the Medici, Lorraine and Savoy . The collection can be described as princely , in that many pieces were made for the grand ducal court or were gifts from other European rulers. The grand dukes made use of the local Florentine manufactory of Doccia for their large services in daily use, which are well represented in the museum.

View more pics of Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens!»

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There is a single ticket and same hours to visit all of the museums housed within the Palatto Pitti: the Palatine Gallery and Royal Apartments, Gallery of Modern Art, Treasury of the Grand Dukes and the Museum of Costume and Fashion.

There is a separate ticket to visit the Boboli Gardens , which also includes the Porcelain Museum and Bardini Gardens.

From March 1 - October 31: Full € 16, reduced € 8 From November 1 - February 28/29: Full € 10, reduced € 5

An annual pass for the Palazzo Pitti museums is available for € 35 (valid 365 days after first use)

** Special discount of 50% off the cost of the ticket if you buy before 9am and enter by 9:25am, year-round **

Combined ticket for Palazzo Pitti + Boboli Gardens + Uffizi Gallery, valid 3 days and with priority entry: from March 1-October 31 = Full € 38, reduced € 21 and from November 1- February 28/29 = Full € 18, reduced € 11

Read the article on Boboli Gardens to see cost and hours.

Every first Sunday of the month between October and March, entrance is free for everyone!

BUY TICKETS ONLINE »

Open from 8:15 am to 6:50 pm Tuesday through Sunday

Closed every Monday, January 1 and December 25

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Tours / Guided Tour of Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens

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If you have a taste for art and opulence , if you like majestic gardens ...you should book a guided tour of the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens in Florence .

Pitti Palace ( Palazzo Pitti ) was built by the Pitti family in the 1400s, only to be bought by the Medicis a century later. It used to be the latters’ final mansion, the one in which they lived for the longest period of time (from the 1500s until the 1700s, followed by the Lorraines who ruled Florence and Tuscany after them).

Let me lead you inside, and you will be overwhelmed by stunning and colourful Baroque murals and stuccoes , tables and vases made of precious stones, and masterpieces by the greatest painters of all time , such as Sandro Botticelli , Raffaello Sanzio , Pieter Paul Rubens , and Caravaggio . Can you believe it was inhabited until the 1940s..? The Italian royal family, The Savoys from Piedmont, were entitled to live here until Italy chose a republic over the monarchy (1946). Only a small part of this enourmous palace is visible : thanks to this Pitti Palace guided private tour , you will admire the most beautiful rooms and halls , and have them masterfully illustrated... without being stressed by crowds flocking to see the unmissable works of art. At the end of the tour, we will take a relaxing stroll through the fantastic Boboli Gardens and I will satisfy your curiosity, revealing the secret meaning of the artificial grottoes and the 16th and 17th century statues populating the Boboli Gardens.

The Palatine Gallery (Galleria Palatina).

Password: Variety . We'll walk through the former grand-ducal Medici apartments and you will be struck by the overabundance of decorations and the preciousness and the variety of the materials and artefacts. It’s not just paintings you can see here..! I will point out to you the previous uses of the most important rooms. The astounding murals of the Halls of the Planets' ceilings depict the heir to the grand-ducal throne , Cosimo III Medici ( portrayed in an idealised way, as an handsome and muscular young man ) instructed by all the gods to become a wise sovereign: every god and goddess, ( planet ) was said to bestow him with a different virtue.

Hundreds of wonderful paintings are hung closely to each other on the wall, creating an incredible effect.

Amongst them there are some rare pearls , like the Madonna of the Chair (Madonna della Seggiola) by Raffaello . It is the most perfect paintings of all time. It is difficult to explain Raffaello's artwork, for perfection just explains itself. I will attempt this nonetheless...the more challenging, the better! The Palatine Gallery displays the largest number of paintings by Raffaello of all museums in the world . Alongside this, two stunningly luxurious ancient bathrooms - one of them once belonging to Napoleon Bonaparte - can be found here! Tables everywhere, made according to the “ Florentine mosaic ” technique, which creates patterns with cut-to-shape, very thin pieces of bright-coloured semiprecious stones inlaid in slate. Dating back to the 1500s, there are only ten masters left in the world who are able to perform this technique; and they're all in Florence..!

The Royal Apartments.

Let's take a walk through the Royal Apartments , occupied during the 1800s by the Savoy family : the royal family of Italy. Could you imagine seeing a real throne room in here..?

The Medici Treasure Museum.

In the former Medici family Summer Apartments (Appartamenti d'Estate), embellished with marvellous frescoes , there's a collection of jewels you can’t find anywhere else. Cameos, gemstones, crystals, ivories, ambers, precious shells mounted in gold or silver to give life to incredibly oddly-shaped artefacts. Where else could you find a cherry pit carved by a sculptress with 100 tiny faces..? These objects can only be seen here . Works of art or craftmanship used to be extremely unique..!

The Boboli Gardens.

The Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens guided private tour ends with us plunging into a vegetation splendidly “moulded” by man . Let's take a walk through the Boboli Gardens, which inspired those of many European courts. Just remember – there are no flowers overflowing from the gardens here..! We owe the Boboli Gardens to a splendid Medici woman, Eleanor of Toledo (Eleonora di Toledo), wife to Cosimo I, the Grand Duke of the Medici family. Since she had spent her life in Naples, close to the sea, surrounded by verdant gardens and fairy-tale villas with fountains, she found that Florence was of no satisfaction to her. So she bought the Pitti Palace – she could afford it! - and had the Boboli Gardens built..!

And I am here to show you how amazing it is, especially if we get to the top of it, one of the highest points in Florence. The view from the Knight's Garden (Giardino del Cavaliere) will be unforgettable – just like my explanations..!

ANY TOUR I GIVE CAN BE EXTENDED OR SHORTENED, AND COMPLETED WITH A BRIEF WALKING TOUR OF FLORENCE, OR ANY OTHER TOUR YOU MIGHT LIKE.

Florence Guided Tours Rates

These rates DON'T include the cost of churches, exhibitions, museum tickets, or the cost of possible audio-systems, or transportation.

Payment can be made in advance by bank transfer or PayPal, or during the guided tour by credit card.  

Groups (up to 25 people) and individuals:

• Half-day (THREE hours) € 210 
• Full day (SIX hours) € 420

Contact us for any information concerning the tours (quotations and durations, prices of entrance tickets, museum timetables). I will answer within 24 hours.

Thanks to our numerous contacts, we can help you find expert guides in other Tuscan and Italian cities, or speaking other languages.

On foot. The tour is partially indoors. It runs rain or shine.

I suggest taking another tour if you're in any way unable to walk. The tour is private, which allows you to totally customise it to your needs. I can come to pick you up at your accomodation, if it's in a convenient place to kick off our tour. If it's not, we can easily arrange another pick-up point, close to the museum.

Duration: approximately four (4) hours.

€ 280,00. The price is per tour, not per person . I may ask for a deposit. This rate DOESN'T include the cost of churches, exhibitions, museum tickets, or the cost of possible audio-tours or transportation. Payment can be made in advance by bank transfer or PayPal, or during the guided tour, in cash or with a credit card.

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Pitti Palace guided tour

The palatine gallery and the boboli gardens.

In 1550,  Eleanor of Toledo , wife of  Cosimo I , bought the palace built by Luca Pitti 100 years earlier. At that time, the property also included a portion of land behind the palace where, at first, the duchess organized a fruit and vegetable garden. Very quickly, the  Pitti Palace  and the gardens were transformed into the Medici’s “royal palace” and became the symbol of the Grand Duke’s power. The palace was enlarged and the Boboli was transformed into the Duke’s representative garden thanks to a project by Niccolò Pericoli, called il Tribolo. Visit the  Pitti Palace on a private guided tour !

From that moment, the Pitti Palace served as the Medici’s representative and prestigious residence where the ruling family hosted various sovereigns and ambassadors. The Medici gathered in the palace rich collections of classical and modern art, which confirmed the prestige and importance of the family.

Today we can admire these collections while visiting the  Palatine Gallery , which hosts masterpieces by  Raphael ,  Andrea del Sarto ,  Bronzino ,  Titian ,  Caravaggio  and others.  At the same time, the  Pitti Palace  tells many stories about the Medici family and about their everyday life. We will learn about the innovations in painting, architecture, engineering, and gastronomy of the sixteenth and the seventeenth centuries.

Book your guided tour of the Pitti Palace in Florence now!

Duration:  ca. 3 h. The tour runs  from Tuesday to Sunday .

Visited sights:

• The Palatine Gallery
• The Boboli Gardens

Price for tour:

1-5 participants:  225,00 € 6-10 participants: 255,00 € 11-15 participants: 285,00 €

The price  does not include  the costs of the tickets to the monuments. The price  includes  sales tax and all other compulsory duties.

Accessibility:

This tour is wheelchair friendly, however, the paths in the Boboli Gardens are covered with gravel, which can render the movement more difficult. For a wheelchair tour of the garden we choose the paths without stairs and steps.

Booking request

Price for tour: 1-5 participants:  225,00 € 6-10 participants: 255,00 € 11-15 participants: 285,00 €

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Palazzo Pitti tours

• Pitti Palace and Palatine Gallery Guided Tour
• Wondering how to experience Pitti Palace, one of the grandest residences in Florence? Try out a guided tour that includes the Royal Apartments and Palatine Gallery.
• An expert English, Spanish or Italian-speaking guide provides insight into the Medici dynasty and their role in Florence’s politics, culture, and economy.
• Browse through the private collection of the Medici family at Palatine Gallery, discovering works like The Concert by Titian and Artemisia Gentileschi's St. Mary Magdalen .
• Guided tour of Pitti Palace and Palatine Gallery with skip-the-line entry
• Expert English, Spanish or Italian-speaking guide (as per option selected)
• Access to the Royal Apartments and temporary exhibitions
• Tip: Fascinated with the works of Raphael? Find the elegant Woman with a Veil in the Jupiter Room, and the mystical Ezekiel's Vision in the Saturn Room of Palatine Gallery.
• Keep in mind food & beverages are not allowed in the exhibition areas.
• Mobile phones must be turned off or at least placed in silent mode.
• It is forbidden to run or walk barefoot in the museum premises.
• Shutterbugs, take note: Photography with any professional equipment including the use of flash and drones is a no-go inside the venue.
• Pets cannot tag along for this experience, with the exception of guide dogs and service animals, properly leashed and with a public medical certificate.
• From the square, the slope to the entrance of the Pitti Palace is rather steep (with a maximum gradient of 20%), so a companion is recommended for wheelchair users.
• From the courtyard, you can take the stairs or lifts to access the Palatine Gallery (1st floor). The lifts are located on the right side near the cloakroom.
• Facilities: free cloakroom storage.
• Backpacks, bags, umbrellas and other large objects must be stored in the cloakroom prior to entry.
• Guests under the age of 12 years must be accompanied by an adult.
• These tickets can't be cancelled or rescheduled.

• Pitti Palace, Palatine Gallery & Boboli Gardens Guided Tour
• You can cancel these tickets up to 24 hours before the experience begins and get a full refund.
• Skip the lines and delve into the Pitti Palace, Palatine Gallery and Boboli Gardens with a passionate guide, unlocking Renaissance secrets.
• Walk in the footsteps of the Medici, Florence's most powerful family, with exclusive access to their grand residence, the Pitti Palace.
• See iconic works by Raphael, Pietro Perugino, and Riminaldi, housed in the opulent Palatine Gallery, alongside captivating frescoes.
• Escape the crowds on a stroll through the Boboli Gardens, once a playground of Medici nobles. Be sure to look for hidden grottos!
• A small group tour means personalized attention and ample time to ask questions, ensuring an enriching and interactive experience.
• Guided tour of Pitti Palace, Palatine Gallery & Boboli Gardens with entry
• Expert English-speaking guide
• Headsets for groups of 3+
• Tip: Head to Piazzale Michelangelo, a short walk from Pitti Palace, for panoramic views of Florence bathed in the golden hues of the setting sun.
• Safety is a priority so this experience is restricted for guests under the age of 5 years and over the age of 80 years.
• Nobody likes a crowd. A single group has a maximum of 12 people.
• The entire Boboli Gardens area is pedestrianized, and is not accessible by vehicle; if you have a disability badge, you can park nearby.

Top things to do in Florence

The Pitti Palace, a part of the UNESCO Heritage site, was once the residence of the Medici family, as well as the House of Habsburg-Lorraine and the Kings of Italy. Today, it houses five museums, each offering unique and incredible collections. You can explore the palace's rich history, art collections, and architectural details on a guided tour. Find curated tour options and essential information for a fulfilling experience.

Hear from our guests

Why take a pitti palace tour.

• Expert guidance : Tours offer the expertise of seasoned guides who intimately understand the garden's historical significance and artistic marvels, enriching your exploration.
• Save time: Guided tours streamline your experience, saving tons of time at the entrance and inside the attraction with priority access.
• Contextual narratives: Learn the fascinating stories behind every archway, extended area, sculpture and fountain, elevating the whole experience.
• Tour in your language: You can get guided tours to Boboli Gardens in your language.

Which Palazzo Pitti tour is best for you?

Skip-the-line tours.

Duration:  1.5 - 3 hours Suited for:  Solo travelers, couples Ticket price:  Adults over 18 yrs: from €58; Between 6-17 yr: €30; Under 5 yr: free

• Bypass the usual long queues at the Pitti Palace & Palatine Gallery entrance, saving time and maximizing your visit.
• Expert guides will enrich your visit with fascinating anecdotes about the palace's previous owners, their contributions to its expansion, and insights into the diverse range of artifacts and artists featured within.
• Professional multilingual guides ensure you have a seamless and comfortable experience.

Recommended tickets :

Combo tours

Duration:  3 hours Suited for:  Budget, first-time travelers Ticket price:  Adults over 18 yrs: from €98; Between 6-17 yr: €48; Under 5 yr: free

• By opting for a combo tour, you maximize your time and value for money while enjoying priority access.
• This curated tour allows you to seamlessly transition between the opulent interiors of the Pitti Palace, the masterpieces of the Palatine Gallery, and the lush landscapes of the Boboli Gardens, all under the expert guidance of knowledgeable tour guides.

Recommended tours:

Highlights covered on a Pitti Palace tour

Marvel at a vast collection of Renaissance masterpieces by Raphael, Titian, and Rubens, housed in opulent chambers once frequented by the Medici and Lorraine rulers.

What to expect on a Pitti Palace tour?

A typical Pitti Palace tour starts with a visit to the Palatine Chapel on the ground floor, followed by exploration of the Galleria Palatina on the first floor. Here, you'll encounter over 500 Renaissance masterpieces by Raphael, Titian, and Caravaggio, as well as the Royal Apartments, featuring luxurious furnishings and decorative arts, providing insight into the lifestyle of the Medici family and later grand dukes.

Moving to the second floor, you'll discover the Gallery of Modern Art, showcasing works from the 18th and 19th centuries, and the Costume Gallery. You can also visit other museums such as the Silver and Carriages Museum.

Conclude your tour with a stroll through the beautiful Boboli Gardens. Your guide will lead you through all the highlights and exciting corners of these lavish gardens.

Frequently asked questions about Pitti Palace tours

The cost of Pitti Palace tours can vary based on the type of experience you select. Guided tours of Pitti Palace and Palatine Gallery start at €58.

The best Pitti Palace tours depend on your personal preferences. Here are our top hits: - If you're looking an excusive Pitti tour - Pitti Palace and Palatine Gallery Guided Tour starts from €58. - If you seek a comprehensive experience - Pitti Palace, Palatine Gallery & Boboli Gardens Guided Tour starts from €98.

A guided tour of the Pitti Palace provides expert commentary and insights into the palace's rich history and art collections. The guided tour typically includes entry to the palace, the Palatine Gallery, the Royal Apartments, and sometimes the Boboli Gardens. The tour is led by an English-speaking guide who provides a comprehensive overview of the palace's history, art collections, and notable features.

Guided tours are more expensive than regular tickets , reflecting the added value of expert commentary and insights. You will probably be paying about €15 to €20 more for their knowledge. These tickets also include skip-the-line access so not only do you get a better, more immersive experience, but you also get ahead of the crowds.

A Pitti Palace guided tour typically lasts between 1.5 to 3 hours, depending on the particular tour you choose and the itinerary.

The tours are available in English, Spanish, and Italian, depending on the tour.

The Pitti Palace guided tour covers the palace's main attractions, including the Palatine Gallery, the Royal Apartments, and sometimes the Boboli Gardens. The tour provides a comprehensive overview of the palace's history , art collections, and notable features, including works by Raphael, Titian, Tintoretto, and Rubens. The tour also includes skip-the-line access, allowing visitors to bypass the crowds and enjoy a more immersive experience.

Yes, some tours include skip-the-line access , such as the Pitti Palace, Palatine Gallery & Boboli Gardens Guided Tour.

Yes, some tours offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience begins.

Most tours have age restrictions, such as the Pitti Palace Boboli Garden & Palatina Gallery Guided Tour , which is suitable for ages 6-80 with a maximum of 12 per group.

Sadly, we don't have audio guides at the moment. You can inquire at Pitti Palace office when you show your ticket if they have any.

No, there are no areas of Pitti Palace that are accessible only with a guided tour. All areas of the museum are open to visitors for self exploration.

Yes, there is a meet-up point for the tours, which is typically at the main entrance of Pitti Palace.

Yes, the guides are professionally trained and certified, imparting in-depth knowledge about the Pitti palace, its artworks and the Boboli Gardens.

If you are late, you may miss the tour, and there are no refunds for missed tours.

Pitti Palace

Between public and private court life: a palace for three dynasties.

• Timetable and Prices
• Special visits

Purchased in 1550, the Palace was chosen by Cosimo I de’ Medici and his wife Eleanor of Toledo as the new Grand Ducal residence, and it soon became the new symbol of the Medici’s power over Tuscany. It also housed the Court of other two dynasties: the House of Habsburg-Lorraine (which succeeded the Medici from 1737) and the Kings of Italy from the House of Savoy, who inhabited it from 1865. Nonetheless the palace still bears the name of its first owner, the Florentine banker Luca Pitti that in the mid-1400s started its construction – maybe after a design by Brunelleschi – at the foot of the Boboli hill beyond the Arno River.

Today the Palace is divided into five museums: the Treasury of the Grand Dukes and the Museum of Russian Icons (with the Palatine Chapel) on the ground floor, the Palatine Gallery and the Imperial and Royal Apartments on the first floor, the Gallery of Modern Art and the Museum of Costume and Fashion on the second floor.

Palatine Gallery

The medici’s collections of paintings on display with a vast array of sumptuous frames, furnishings, stuccoes, silks and baroque frescoes.

Treasury of the Grand Dukes

A rich collection of decorative arts in the medici’s sumptuous summer apartments.

Museum of Costume and Fashion

Imperial and Royal Apartments

Three centuries of court splendour in the private rooms of the king and queen.

Gallery of Modern Art

Paintings and sculptures from neoclassicism to the 1930s: the greatest exponents of italian art in the sumptuous residence of the grand dukes of habsburg-lorraine.

Palatine Chapel

The court chapel of the hapsburg-lorraine family.

Museum of Russian Icons

The oldest collection of russian icons in western europe.

Ammannati Courtyard

From Tuesday to Sunday, 8.15am to 6.30pm

Mondays, 1 January, 25 December

Ticket office closes one hour before the closure of the museum.

The Imperial Apartments remain closed for refurbishment works until further notice.

Visits to the mezzanine floor of the Treasure of the Grandukes are stopped until further notice.

Some rules for visitors

Information on the accessibility of our museums, discounts on the admission ticket for pitti palace, mandatory use of headphones for groups of 6 people or more, temporary closure of the imperial and royal apartments, food and drink inside the museums of the uffizi galleries, single ticket.

Single ticket for all Palazzo Pitti collections: Palatine Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art, Museum of Costume and Fashion, Treasury of the Grand Dukes, Museum of Russian Icons and Paltine Chapel.

Details and timetable Promo and discounts

PassePartout 5 Days

Single ticket for 5 consecutive days for Uffizi, Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens. Read more

On the right side of the main court.

Entrance from Pitti Square with a 20% slope. Lifts to access to the floors.

Free. On the right side of the court. Umbrellas, cumbersome bags and backpacks must be left.

In the basement, entrance on the right side of the court; in the courtyard for people with reduced mobility.

Dedicated room for breastfeeding, change and relax in the basement, on the right side of the court.

At the ticket office. Languages: Italian, English, French, Spanish, German. Price: 6.00 € for one pair of earphones. The delivery service is available until 3.30pm. Audio guides must be returned within 5.30pm.

In the courtyard and at the first floor.

On the right side of the court. From September to May it closes at 7 pm. From June to August it closes at 8:00pm.

Charged. On the left side of the Ammannati Court

The Newsletter of the Uffizi Galleries

The 'Rive Gauche' - Florence Oltrarno / PITTI PALACE AND BOBOLI GARDENS

description

Guided tours of pitti palace complex and museums, florence.

After having belonged to the Pitti family for about a century, the majestic palace was bought by the Medici in the mid-sixteenth century and transformed into the most sumptuous residence of the grand dukes of Florence . Enlarged over the centuries up to the present forms, the Pitti Palace was since then the seat of all the ruling dynasties: the Medici , the Lorraine and with the unification of Italy, the Savoy family . The Palatine Gallery with its famous paintings is only one of the museums that you can visit inside.

The Pitti Palace complex is in fact home to important museums that host collections of paintings and works of art of various kinds:

• The PALATINE GALLERY
• The GALLERY OF MODERN ART
• The MUSEUM OF COSTME AND FASHION
• The SILVER MUSEUM

The Boboli Gardens , adjacent to the Pitti Palace, are a historic park in Florence and one of the best examples of Italian garden in the world. Arranged on several levels along the slope of a hill, the gardens cover an area of 45 000 square meters. A true open-air museum, with antique statues, fountains, artificial caves, lakes and water lilies, the Boboli Gardens also offer an exceptional panoramic view of the city .

For information on ticket prices, reservations, temporary exhibitions in progress and more visit: www.uffizi.it/palazzo-pitti

Duration : about 3 hours

Cost per Private Tour (1-6 pax):  60 € per hour  

The price is PER TOUR and not per person. For groups of more than 6 people the cost will be reformulated on request depending on the number of participants.

Ticket cost and reservation: not included

Other Tours

Do not hesitate to contact me to arrange a personalized visit together according to your particular interests. Tel. [+39] 328 2592378

[email protected].

In accordance with article 13 of Legislative Decree 196/2003 (law related to the protection of personal data) the data controller hereby informs you that: a) processing of your personal data shall be carried out for: 1. contractual obligations: to supply goods and services to guests; 2. legal obligations: invoicing, obligatory books of accounts and entries, communications to requesting authorities; 3. communications to banks and similar institutions, for collection of credits and other activities related to contractual obligations; 4. offer of services during your stay (secretarial service, delivery of correspondence, reservation of external services) or subsequent to your stay (communication of special offers, events or similar).

Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens Tour

Table of the Muses 

Volterrano’s paintings, raphael’s paintings, caravaggio’s paintings, fountains of boboli gardnes, buonatelenti’s cave, duration of the tour : 2,3 hours, what is included : guided tour service, what is not included : museum tickets and headset, accessibility for differently abled: yes, but some areas of the boboli gardens, read here the important information about the tour, from 180,00 €.

Pitti Palace, the residence of the Grand Dukes of Tuscany

Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens tour tour takes you to discover the unexpected wonders of the Florence Grand Dukes of Tuscany, those of the Medici and Lorraine families. This itinerary reveal the opulent image of a court that wanted to surround itself with artistic beauties well beyond the golden age of the Renaissance, decorating its residence with baroque and then neoclassical splendours.

We will begin our tour with a visit to the Palatine Gallery, one of the most admirable examples in Europe of picture gallery, that is, the arrangement of paintings by overlapping, as only a few survivors places can you now see.

Visiting the gallery you will admire the masterpieces of the greatest masters of Western art, from Botticelli to Rubens, passing through Caravaggio and Van Dyck . In addition, the Gallery houses the largest collection of paintings by the great Raphael Sanzio : thirteen, including the well-known Madonna della Seggiola and the Madonna delle Impannate .

The Table of the Muses, a masterpiece of the Florentine “Commesso”

One of the first rooms we see in the Pitti Palace tour is the so called “Castagnoli Room” that preserves the “Table of the Muses“, a masterpiece of the marble “ Commesso ”, a Florentine artistic tradition that in the past was among the most popular in Europe.

Visiting the Duchess’s apartment, we see some of the rooms used in the past by the members of the court in daily life, when a part of the otium was dedicated to contemplation and discussion of works of art that were sometimes of burlesque subject, such as the paintings by Volterrano preserved in these spaces.

Among the rooms that have been preserved we even have a bathroom, still decorated with neoclassical style furniture and which, as we will discover, is linked to  Napoleon  for a particular reason…

The rooms of the Planets, a journey into the wonders of the Western art

Our Pitti Palace tour continues with a visit to the so-called Rooms of the Planets, a series of majestic rooms, frescoed by the well-known Baroque painter  Pietro da Cortona , where you can not only take an iconographic and symbolic journey aimed at celebrating the life of the Grand Dukes, but also admire the works of the great artists in the history of art: in fact, the works by Perugino, Filippino Lippi, the great Raphael are here preserved, continuing then with Andrea del Sarto, Titian, Rubens and Salvator Rosa.

We will complete the Pitti Palace tour by visiting the rooms inhabited by members of the royal Savoy family during the period in which Florence was the capital of Italy.

The Boboli Gardens

The second part of the Pitti Palace tour, which will take place after the lunch break, will be a visit to the Boboli Gardens. This majestic park is the result of a series of interventions ranging from the mid-16th century, when the Duchess  Eleonora of Toledo  bought this space and the palace, up to the time of the Lorraine and Savoy families, when a part of the green space took on the typical features of an English garden, as it was fashionable at that time.

Our tour of the Boboli Gardens will start from the auditorium of the ‘theatre’ which is located immediately behind the Pitti Palace.

The wondorus works in the Boboli Gardens

Here we have the opportunity to retrace the history of this structure built in the Baroque era but which has its precedents in a theatre built in the mid-1500s and which had important literary ties with the antiquarian culture characterising the reign of Cosimo I’s era. Along the way, we will meet superb creations by the great masters of sculpture, such as the Neptune group made by Stoldo Lorenzi, the “Artichoke fountain“, or the extraordinary island that has at its centre the fountain called the “Ocean”, one of the greatest creations by  Giambologna .

Visiting the Giardino del Cavaliere”, we will analyze the meaning of this apparently simple name and, above all, admire the beautiful panorama of the south-east area of Florence.

The refined Kaffeehaus and the mysterious Buontalenti’s Grotto

As this space is one of the highest points of the city, here you will be able to see important buildings of the city, such as the Basilica of San Miniato al Monte, the ‘Arnolfian’ walls and the Galli Castle, a building that is linked to important episodes of Florence history … We will continue with the Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens tour seeing the Kaffeehaus, an elegant Rococo style building that is an interesting testimony of a custom introduced in Florence in the 18th century by the members of the Lorraine family: taking the outdoor cafe.

The last stop on our route is the mysterious “Grotta grande” or “Grotto”, known as the “Grotta del Buontalenti“; this is a symbolic creation of the alchemical culture that characterised the reign of Francis I, in the second half of the 16th-century, and preserves refined works that conceal a symbolism of great charm.

Through the Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens tour you will be able to discover a little known side of the history of Florence where court glories, family intrigues and superb artistic creations intertwine in what was  one of the first examples of royal residence in Europe .

• Book & Price
• How to reach

This tour can be booked in combination with the other tours and hiking routes available on Florence and Siena which can be consulted in the Menu.

A convenient way to access all the museums or to use the Florentine public transport service is by the Firenze Card .

The activity proposed here is not a joinable tour but a private tour that is carried out on request of individuals or groups organised with a tourist agency and can be customised for starting time, meeting place and duration. depending on the customer’s needs.

Duration of the Pitti Palace tour

The guided tour can last 2 or 4 hours. With the 2-hour tour, we can visit the Galleria Palatina, where the masterpieces by Raphael, Caravaggio, Rubens and Andrea del Sarto are kept. With the 4-hour, we can also visit the beauties of the Boboli Gardens.

Radio rental compulsory from 5 people onwards

From 5 people onwards, to facilitate listening to the guide explanations and ensuring social distancing outdoors and indoors, it is strictly recommended to rent radio devices with transmitters that ensure perfect listening to the explanations of the guide even from a distance; as we visit the inside of the Pitti Palace, the rental of radios is compulsory for 4 or more people . The service is booked by the guide when the guided tour is requested, but the rental cost, which is € 1.00 per person for 2 hours, 1,50 € for 4 hours, is charged to the customer and can be paid directly to the guide who will then take care to pay the supplier.

Carers or teachers of school groups do not pay for the rental of the radio.

Pitti Palace opening hours:

Boboli Gardens opening hours:

Ticket Prices Pitti Palace

Ticket prices boboli garden.

The ticket price to the Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens i s not included in the tour rate

The tickets for Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens can be purchased on the official online store (if the link doesn’t work, recharge the page)

Limited number of people per group

As per the current regulations, the group cannot exceed the maximum limit of 16 people for the Pitti Palace and 28 people for the Boboli Gardens , guide included.

Free admission to the state museums on the first Sundays of the month

Since the Italian Ministry of Culture has decided to reintroduce free admission to state museums on the first Sundays of the month starting from 3 April 2022, it is not recommended to book this tour every first Sunday of the month due to the huge turnout of people and the impossibility for that day to book entry at a determinate time.

The guide does not provide private transport service , which entails the client needs to reach the meeting point established in the route on his own.

To get the contact of a licensed driver  who provides private transfer service, as well as getting further information about the tour, please write to:

[email protected] , also on   Whatsapp or Telegram

Back to the description of the itinerary

Cost of the Pitti Palace private guided tour

The rate for a 2-hours private guided tour is 140.00 € (price in total and not per person), for 4 hours 230.00 € (always price in total and not per person).

For further information about the rates, also to check the deals available , please visit the dedicated section by clicking here .

How to book the tour?

The tour can be booked by writing an email , calling at +393332591526 or texting the guide (also via Whatsapp or Telegram ) to check availability for the requested day. 

Once the day and time of the tour have been agreed with the guide, to book it is necessary to advance  50% of the tour value  with a  deposit  to be paid by credit card.

Attention : pay the deposit  only after  agreed the date and the details of the tour with the guide. The remaining payment of the guided tour takes place after the tour by card, in cash or by bank transfer.

Cancellation Policy

It is the responsibility of the guide  to guarantee the guide service in any case . If, even for personal reasons, the guide is unable to perform the service in the date set with the client, it will be his concern to contact a trusted colleague who can replace him and therefore guarantee the customer service.

The cancellation of the tour from the client can be done free of charge by giving timely notice to the guide before 48 hours from the date and time agreed for the service. In this case the deposit paid in advance by the customer will be returned by the guide . If instead cancellation is made by the customer when there are less than 48 hours before the date agreed for the service, the customer will lose the deposit paid.

Cancellation can be made by promptly communicating it to the guide with via   email , calling the number   +393332591526   or by texting (also via   Whatsapp   or   Telegram ).

By private bus lines

Florence can be reached by plane via the Amerigo Vespucci Airport . From here the historic center is connected:

Florence can be reached by train with the Trenitalia service. Depending on your accommodation needs, you can arrive in Firenze Santa Maria Novella , Firenze Rifredi or Firenze Campo di Marte . With the regional lines then Florence can also be reached from other cities of Tuscany.

Organised Groups with tourist coach

For organised groups by touristic bus , there are drop-off/drop-on points for passengers in the urban centre of Florence ( click here to view the points).

Tourist coaches are subject to the payment of a checkpoint (more information here ).

Michele Busillo

Official tourist and nature guide of Florence e Siena

P.Iva: 05245900658 Pec:  [email protected]

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To get more information about the visit, to have a quotation of customized itinerary, please contact me at:

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• +39 3332591526

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Guide To The Treasures Of The Pitti Palace in Florence Italy

If you’re planning a trip to Florence, be sure to include a visit to the magnificent Pitti Palace on your itinerary. This guide will give you an overview of 20 must see masterpieces and famous paintings in the palace.

The Pitti Palace is truly one of Florence’s must see sites, offering visitors a wonderful and immersive experience. The palace is home to the world’s best collection of works by Raphael, among other treasures.

Stepping inside the palace is like entering a world of beauty and history, with its stunning in situ art collections and beautiful gardens. It’s no wonder that the Pitti Palace is one of the best and most popular attractions in Florence – trust me, you won’t regret adding it to your to do list!

READ : Guide To the Medici Palaces in Florence

History of the Pitti Palace

The magnificent Palazzo Pitti was the regal home of the Medici family . It’s located across the Arno River, in the off the beaten path Oltrarno district that’s now Florence’s trendiest neighborhood.

The palace is the largest palace in Florence and one of Florence’s most stunning architectural gems. It was built in 1457 for the Florentine banker Luca Pitti, a Medici peer and rival.

When Cosimo the Elder built the Medici-Riccardi Palace, a prideful Pitti decided to trump his Medici nemesis. In 1458, he hired an unknown architect and began building a grand palace across the River Arno.

The design is often attributed to the famed architect Filippo Brunelleschi. But he died before construction project began. The Pitti Palace was later the model for the Residenz palace in Munich Germany .

But the project bankrupted Pitti. He died before it was completed.

By the middle of the 16th century, the Medici family had become European royalty. Cosimo I was married to Eleanor of Toledo.

She was a Hapsburg princess and the first duchess of Florence. She wasn’t terribly impressed with her digs at the Palazzo Vecchio . She wanted a grander place to raise her growing royal family.

In 1459, she purchased the Pitti Palace from the bankrupt Pittis for 9,000 gold florins. In modern dollar value, which is difficult to estimate, the cost was approximately 17.5 to 18 million dollars. Eleanora embarked on a grand expansion.

Architect Bartolemeo Ammannati added the fancy Mannerist courtyard and lateral wings, tripling the size of the palace to 140 rooms and adding 8 art galleries. The courtyard is so vast that Florence’s Strozzi Palace could fit inside.

The Pitti Palace became the new symbol of Medici power. The palace remained the principal Medici residence until the last male Medici heir died in 1737.

The palace then passed to the new Grand Dukes of Tuscany, the Austrian House of Lorraine. Their tenancy was interrupted when Napoleon used it as a power base.

When Tuscany passed from the control of the House of Lorraine to the House of Savoy in 1860, the Palazzo Pitti was included. When Florence was briefly the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, Victor Emmanuel II resided in the Palazzo until 1871.

Museums of the Pitti Palace

Today, the Palazzo Pitti houses important world famous masterpieces. Unlike it’s sister museum the Uffizi Gallery , which houses the Medici’s state collection, the Pitti Palace houses the family’s personal collection. Both collections were left to Italy after the death of the last Medici.

The in situ collection is arranged as part of the over-the-top decoration of the magnificent rooms. Paintings are displayed in rich frames that cover the walls beneath gilded and frescoed ceilings. The collection includes Spanish and Flemish works, Medieval works, Italian Renaissance pieces, and Baroque works.

The Baroque galleries look almost exactly the same as when they were built. You can experience the works just as contemporary audiences did in a salon style.

This type of in situ arrangement is unique in museums, and in stark contrast to the Uffizi. The only other truly comparable galleries in Italy are the Borghese Gallery and the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj in Rome .

Today, the Pitti Palace is divided into four museums: the Treasury of the Grand Dukes on the ground floor, the Palatine Gallery and the Imperial and Royal Apartments on the first floor, and the Gallery of Modern Art and the Museum of Costume and Fashion on the second floor.

You could even include the Boboli Gardens as a fifth museum.

Overview of the Palatine Gallery

By far, the most important museum is the fabulous Palatine Gallery, which displays four centuries of Medici and Tuscan lifestyle. It occupies the left wing of the first floor.

The gallery houses an impressive and priceless collection of over 500 paintings, chock a block on top of each other amid lavish stucco, gilt, and silk furnishings. Nothing is in chronological order. It’s arranged according to the Medici’s personal whims.

The Palatine Gallery boasts some of the world’s most famous paintings. It has works by Raphael, Rubens, Titian, Pietro da Cortona, and Caravaggio. In fact, the Palatine has more Raphael pieces than any other museum in the world. Raphael was one of the greatest painters of the High Renaissance.

Tickets & Tours For The Pitti Palace

You should definitely book a skip the line ticket if you’re visiting in high season. Click  here  to pre-book a ticket to the Pitti Palace. Click  here  to book a guided tour of the magnificent museum.

You can book a combined tour of the Pitti Palace, Uffizi Gallery and the Academia to see Florence’s best museums. There’s also a combined ticket and guided tour to the palace, the Palatine gallery, and the Boboli Gardens.

The palace gardens are gorgeous, but you have to book a separate ticket for them. Click   here  to pre-book a skip the line ticket to the Boboli Gardens.

Guide To The Pitti Palace: What To See

Enter the palace through the Gate of Bacchus to begin your tour. Here are 20 of the must see highlights and masterpieces you can’t miss.

1. Pietro da Cortona Ceiling Frescos

In 1641, Cosimo I commissioned Baroque muralist Pietro da Cortona to decorate five formal reception halls with planetary themes on the first floor of the palace. They are the Saturn Room, the Hall of Venus, the Apollo Room, the Jupiter Room, and the Mars Room.

Cortona was the undisputed protagonist and innovator of a new decorative Baroque style.

The frescos contain likenesses of the Medici family and mythological figures.

The decorative theme was proposed by the grand duke’s librarian. It was part of an iconographic plan aimed at glorifying the duke through the presence of the gods of Olympus — Venus, Apollo, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.

2. Caravaggio, Sleeping Cupid

Caravaggio’s paintings are among the most stunning works in the history of Western painting. Caravaggio was a revolutionary, a sledgehammer to the history of art. He almost single handedly pioneered the Italian Baroque style.

Caravaggio’s story is one of talent and turbulence. He acted like a devil, but painted like an angel. Caravaggio rejected the sanitized idealism that characterized much of the Renaissance era. He refused to adhere to traditional views of what constituted art.

Thus, it’s not surprising that this Baroque painting stands out from the other Renaissance works in the Pitti Palace. It’s a showstopper.

In Sleeping Cupid , Caravaggio takes a popular mythological subject and renders it a gloomy and non-classical way. The light and shade sharply contrast in a violent way, departing from the harmony of Renaissance norms with a hyper-realism.

Cupid appears as a rather chubby (and possibly sickly) urchin sleeping on the streets, using his wings as a head rest. His mouth is open and limbs twisted. Cupid’s hand holds a broken arrow.

Caravaggio makes Cupid deliberately ungraceful, jaundiced even. There is no serenity in Caravaggio’s depiction. A stark realism replaces idealism. Yet his face is still rendered tenderly.

READ : Guide To the Caravaggio Trail in Rome

3. Botticelli, Bella Simonetta

In this famous Botticelli portrait, a young married woman stands in the corner of a room near a rectangular window or door frame. Her gaze is directed beyond the picture frame.

Her close fitting gown is a simple design, with virtually no decoration other than a slashed shoulder and laced opening. She has carefully coiffed hard concealed beneath a bonnet. This was typical “indoor” dress or the nobility.

The woman has a serious, almost dreamy, countenance. It’s only tempered by the strand of loose hair, which also emphasizes her delicate features.

Some art historians speculate that the humble portrait depicts Clair Orsini, the wife of Lorenzo the Magnificent. Others think it depicts Botticelli’s muse Simonetta Vespucci.

READ : Guide To Botticelli Paintings in Florence

4. Titian, Mary Magdalene

This is a famous painting, by Venetian artist Titian, of a penitent Mary Magdalene. It’s easy to miss, if you’re not careful. When you go through the door of the Apollo Room, you have to look back to see it.

Titian was to Venice what Michelangelo was to Florence — a hugely important and defining artist. More than other Renaissance artist, the Venetians celebrated the sensual in art and often used courtesans as models.

Mary is a woman with a dissolute past who asks Jesus for forgiveness. Titian portrays Mary with long, almost sensuous, copper brown hair. She tries to cover her breasts with it. She is naked as a symbolic gesture, to erase her past.

Because of the subject’s popularity, Titian painted six more versions of the motif. The Palatine Gallery’s version is one of Titian’s oldest prototypes, and of astounding quality. It was likely painted for Francesco Maria della Rovere, Duke of Urbino, in Venice between 1533-35.

The oldest mention of the painting dates back to Giorgio Vasari, who on seeing it in the collection of Duke Guidubaldo della Rovere, during a visit to the court of Urbino in 1548, described it as a “rare thing.” It was brought to Florence as part of the inheritance of Vittoria della Rovere in 1631.

5. Raphael, Woman With a Veil

What makes this Raphael painting so famous? For starters, it shows Raphael at the peak of his power.

The white and gold painting is beautiful, refined, and exudes a physical warmth and sensuous vitality. Covered by a sumptuous piece of cloth, the subject has a mysterious look. Even her clothing seems alive.

The painting also has a torrid backstory. While Raphael was painting frescos at the Villa Farnesina , he began an affair with the subject of the painting — the baker’s daughter, Margherita Luti, called La Fornarina.

Raphael’s infatuation with La Fornarina consumed him. He began to skip work to see her. Raphael’s patron, Agostino Chigi, grew frustrated. He even had La Fornarina kidnapped to prevent Raphael from seeing her.

But that stratagem didn’t succeed. A lovestruck Raphael grew depressed and still didn’t work. This all stalled Chigi’s grand project. Finally, Chigi gave up and had Luti move in to keep a bewitched Raphael content.

In 1520, Raphael died abruptly at just 37. The diagnosis? According to Vasari, Raphael died from “too much sex,” which caused him to spike a fever. His bedmate on his last happy night? Most likely, La Fornarina.

Unlike much of Raphael’s other work, this is an intimate portrait. Luti’s right hand rests over her heart and her left hand between her legs. It’s a Venus-like posture reminiscent of The Capitoline Venus in Rome’s Capitoline Museums , equating La Fornarina with the goddess of love.

6. Raphael, Madonna of the Chair

This is Raphael’s most famous madonna. It’s a vivid image executed at the height of his powers, when Raphael was known as the “Prince of Painting.”

It’s a celebration of motherhood, a intimate scene between mother and son, with a reverent St. John the Baptist watching. The curves of the panel are repeated in the arrangement of the figures, rounded almost like sculptures.

Characteristic of Raphael, the color is clear and brilliant. There are no extraneous details. Mary is dressed like a peasant, not a madonna. Christ has an abundant fleshiness, his arm gently tucked into his mother’s shawl.

7. Raphael, Madonna dell’Impanata

This is a simply beautiful Raphael painting on linen. It’s in his mature style, with a magnificent use of color and light to portray real life.

The composition includes a madonna, child, and saints. A rather erotic St. John the Baptist is on the bottom right with his left foot propped up. Sitting on a fancy fur, he looks a bit too old to be naked.

Even as a child, Christ is shown in a contrapposto position.

8. Raphael, Portrait of Leo X

Leo X is one of Raphael’s most important Renaissance portraits. After a clumsy 19th century restoration, experts confirmed “without a doubt” that the two cardinals were, in fact, painted by Raphael.

The Pitti Palace received the painting in a “trade” with the Uffizi Gallery in exchange for the acclaimed Raphael double portrait of Agonoli Doni and Maddalena Strozzi , which is now on display in the Raphael and Michelangelo Room of the Uffizi.

READ : Complete Guide To the Uffizi Gallery

The portrait is a symphony of reds. There is no chaos in the painting. But it depicts two of the worst popes in history. Pope Leo X once claimed, “Since God have given us the papacy, let us enjoy it.” Leo’s policies would later lead to the Protestant Reformation.

The figures are depicted as dignified men. The painting is dominated by Leo X, in an unflattering portrait. He’s in sumptuous dress, an indicator of his penchant for excess. It’s possible the painting was sent from Florence to Rome, in honor of the wedding of Leo X’s nephew.

9. Raphael, Madonna del Granduca

This is an early, but very moving, painting by Raphael. We don’t know who commissioned the piece. The work was painted during a Raphael stint in Florence . It appears to be influenced by Leonardo da Vinci, using a sfumato (blurring of colors) technique.

READ : 30 Must See Masterpieces in Florence

In it, Raphael demonstrates all his skills in depicting holy subjects. In spite of its simplicity, there’s a sentimentality and delicate beautify to the piece. The Christ child looks out at us poignantly. Both mother and child wear simple halos.

Mary has a melancholy visage, perhaps reminiscent of Botticelli most famous paintings . Yet, her gaze is directed outward, perhaps inviting you to view her cherubic baby and his sweet face.

The dark background isn’t original. The original background is shown on Raphael’s preparatory drawing in the Uffizi.

10. Artemisia Gentilechi, Judith With her Handmaiden

Gentileschi was one of the most talented painters of the Baroque period, rivaling Caravaggio himself. She was a savvy and self-assured business woman in a patriarchal society. Artemisia empowered herself, forged a career, supported her family, and was a Baroque genius in her own right.

Her most famous painting is Judith Beheading Holofernes, housed in the Uffizi Gallery. it depicts a classic biblical scene. It’s the Old Testament story of Judith and Holofernes, in which a heroic woman beheads the warlord who’s besieged her town in Israel.

In the Pitti’s painting, Judith With her Handmaiden , Gentileschi returns to the theme. She depicts the moments after the shocking beheading. Judith has sword in hand. Her handmaiden carries Holoferne’s head in a basket.

The women work together in quiet communion. Judith looks warrior-like, her features spotlit. They appear to have heard something, or perhaps are taking a last look at the dead body.

The painting showcases Artemisia’s absolute mastery of rich color and light, trademarks of the Baroque. The use of chiaroscuro heightens the drama of the scene.

READ : Guide to Gentileschi’s Life and Best Paintings

11. Rubens, The Four Philsophers

Rubens was a 17th century Flemish painter. He’s renowned for his exuberant Baroque style. He painted it all — curvaceous nudes, religious scenes, landscapes, portraits, and allegories.

This painting is a famous group portrait of Rubens (depicted on the far left), his brother Philip, and the philosophers Justus Lipsius and Jan Wowerius. A bust of the philosopher Seneca looms above the group, giving rise to the title Four Philosophers . The men are having a discussion about Seneca, but their books are oddly blank.

Rubens had just lost his brother to an early death and the painting was a sort of memorial. The stilted portrait of Lipsius, in the fur wrap, is also posthumous.

Next to the bust is a vase of tulips. Two are open and two are closed, representing the lives and deaths of the four men. Lipsius and Phillip stare into the distance, a common Dutch mechanism for indicating death.

12. Rubens, Allegory of War

This enormous Rubens painting, also known as The Consequences of War , has a lot going on. The painting was given to a Medici grand duke. It came with a letter ink which Rubens explained the complicated allegory.

Rubens was a pacifist in a world of war mongers and martial enthusiasts. The painting is about the terrible consequences of war.

The central figure is Mars, who is on the march holding a shield and blood stained sword. He’s being restrained by Venus, love trying to prevent violence. At his feet are all the good things that are being ruined. The grief-stricken woman in black, with a torn veil, represents Europe, who has suffered during constant conflict.

War is pulled by a fury. Pestilence and Famine appear as the inseparable partners of war. The overall point is that War destroys everything of value — the arts and letters, fecundity, morality, charity, and even architecture.

13. Andrea del Sarto, Disputation on the Holy Trinity

This Andrea del Sarto altarpiece is a classic High Renaissance painting. Del Sarto was known as the “Perfect Painter.” Art historian Vasari thought del Sarto had an abundance of talent, but was an underachiever.

The painting shows four saints having a heated discussion. You can tell this by the figures’ gestures and movement.

Saint Mary Magdalene and Saint Sebastian sit at their feet listening. Perhaps they’ve seen the figure of the crucified Christ at the top of the painting. The message is that the Trinity endures no matter how its worshippers disagree.

14. Caravaggio, Portrait of a Knight of Malta

A complicated and eccentric personality, Caravaggio’s life was as dangerous and dramatic as his art. In 1606, Pope Paul IV exiled Caravaggio from Rome for murder charges. He also put a bounty on Caravaggio’s head, granting anyone permission to kill him. At the height of his career, Caravaggio was forced to live as a fugitive.

In 1607, Caravaggio fled to Malta to attempt to join the holy and chivalric order of the Knights of St. John. They were an armed religious order and a possible road to redemption for troubled nobles in need of a pardon.

To impress the Maltese locals, Caravaggio created painting for the knights. For his efforts, Caravaggio was proclaimed the world’s greatest painter, living or dead. And he was invested as a knight.

In this painting, Caravaggio portrays Antonio Martelli of Florence, a member of the order. He’s wearing a shiny black and white shirt, set against a dramatic dark background. He rests his hand on his sheathed sword, while holding a rosary in the other hand — drawing a connection between piety and violence.

15. Fra Filippo Lippi, Bartolini Tondo

This beautiful tondo (round) painting, also known as Mother and Child , belongs to the Early Renaissance. It was executed by the lascivious and scandalous monk, Fra Filippo Lippi. Lippi was a Carmelite monk with a clinical sex addiction. His biggest scandal was the seduction of a nun, who he then used as a model for his madonnas.

The Bartolini Tondo was the first known tondo in art history, created to commemorate the birth of the first child of merchant Roberto Bartonlini. Tondos are usually commissioned for domestic setting, not churches.

The Madonna isn’t enthroned in majesty as in earlier Gothic paintings. The painting is much more natural and the Madonna is quite beautiful. Even the background scenes seem more from everyday life than the Virgin Mary’s life.

The image is similar to, but not as beautiful, as Lippi’s Madonna in the Uffizi Gallery. The model (his lover) appears to be the same. The artist’s joy in the smallest detail is shown in every inch of the painting. Baby Jesus holds a pomegranate, a symbol of Christ’s passion.

On the right side, you see the Meeting at the Golden Gate, were Mary’s parents meet after learning they will have a child. On the left is the birth of the virgin. You can see an affinity between Lippi and Botticelli. Botticelli was in Lippi’s studio.

Read : Guide To Botticelli’s Art in Florence

16. Giorgione, The Three Ages of Man

There aren’t many works definitely attributed to the Venetian Renaissance painter Giorgione. But this is one of them. The meaning of the painting is ambiguous. It could have both a moral and religious interpretation.

The painting is generally considered an allegory of the three stages of life – youth, maturity, and old age. Some scholars consider it to be simply a music lesson. Still others believe it is a scene from the Gospel of St. Matthew, where Jesus meets with St. Peter and a wealthy young man looking for the path to eternal salvation.

The man on the right has the typical visage of Jesus, is pointing a finger (another giveaway to his identity), and wears green. The elderly man, who may be St. Peter, is portrayed as St. Peter often is — bald and with a short beard. The young man’s clothing reveals he is wealthy.

In any event, the famous panel in the Jupiter Room shows Giorgione’s poetic vision. The boy in the center and the man on the right are portrayed as the ideal of male beauty. A golden light plays off their faces, giving the painting a softness. The older man looks out at us, and thus involves the viewer in the picture’s theme.

17. Antonio Canova, Venus Italica

This beautiful marble sculpture is by Neo-Classical artist Antonio Canova. Commissioned by a Florentine noble, it’s a replica of a 1st century Roman statue of Aphrodite.

The statue was intended to replace the Medici Venus statue, which Napoleon had seized and placed in the Louvre (and was subsequently returned).

Canova didn’t make an exact copy of the goddess emerging from her bath. He made the luminous figure slightly more human and relatable. Venus is shown as a beautiful woman, not a beautiful goddess.

The work was hugely popular. Several other copies were made.

18. Ghirlandaio, Portrait of a Goldsmith

Ghirlandaio was a pivotal Florentine artist of the early Renaissance. This Ghirlandaio painting hangs in the Saturn Room. The Medici loved to collect portraits for their personal collection and this piece is one of the best.

READ : Art Lover’s Guide To Tuscany

This portrait isn’t an official portrait. It was once though to be the work of Leonardo Da Vinci. It shows characteristics of his style.

The subject is half length with a three quarter view with a distance landscape. The man is precisely drawn. But the landscape is light and misty.

19. Gallery of Statues

The Gallery of Statues is home to an impressive collection of sculpture and statuary. Some pieces date back to Greco-Roman times.

You will find several sculptures by Baccio Bandinelli, a noted sculptor in his time. His Bacchus is particularly impressive.

His sculptures also grace Florence’s most famous square, the Piazza della Signoria , and are among the masterpieces of the Bargello Museum .

20. Modern Art Gallery

The Gallery of Modern Art is located on the second floor of the Pitti Palace. The gallery was intended to hold prize-winning art works from the academy competitions. The works of art were collected to adorn the newly-decorated salons.

The rooms were once inhabited by the Habsburg-Lorraine family. The collection of paintings and sculptures ranges from the end of the 18th century to the first decades of the 20th century.

The sumptuous rooms host Neo-Classical and Romantic artworks and numerous important paintings by the Macchiaioli school. There are a considerable number of historical paintings in the gallery, including landscapes by Giovanni Fattori, leading artist of the Macchiaioli movement.

The collection also includes works of the Symbolist and Divisionist movements.

21. Bonus: Boboli Gardens: the Backyard of the Pitti Palace

The historic Boboli Gardens is the backyard playground of the Pitti Palace. Designed for Eleanora, the gardens are the largest green space in Florence, sprawling over 11 acres. The gardens are effectively an open air museum, with hundreds of nooks to explore. They opened to the public in 1776.

The gardens are laid out in the Italian style, with beautifully worn Renaissance statues and fountains. The Rococo Kaffeehaus is on the eastern edge of the gardens, and its terrace is the perfect viewing point.

Its German name seems odd for a pavilion in an Italian garden. But it was commissioned by the palace’s then-owner, Grand Duke Peter Leopold of Habsburg-Lorraine, who later became Emperor Leopold II of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The famous Fountain dell’Oceano and the Bathing Venus were sculpted by the underrated artist Giambologna, whose statues grace the Bargello Museum and the Piazza della Signoria . After Michelangelo, Giambologna was the next best sculptor of the time.

The Grotto Grande, also known as the Buontalenti Grotto, is a fascinating place. In 16th century Tuscany, it was the fashion to build decorative grottos reconstructing natural caves. The grotto once had a fresco by Michelangelo (now in the Accademia) and has copies of his four slaves.

READ : Guide To the Michelangelo Trail in Florence

An interesting sculpture is the modern Cracked Face Statue, Tindaro Screpollato, by Igor Mitoraj. The bronze face is huge, with green streaks running through the cracks that look like tears. The crumbling visage symbolizes both human fragility and strength.

Click   here  to pre-book a skip the line ticket to the Boboli Gardens.

Practical Guide & Tips for Visiting the Pitti Palace

Address : Piazza de’ Pitti

Hours : The Pitti Palace is open from 8:15 am to 6:50 pm. The Boboli Gardens are open everyday at 8:15 am and shut down according to season.

Entry fee : 16 euros and 8 euros for an audio guide. Click here to book a skip the line ticket.

The palace is known for closing some of the small lesser museums without notice. So if you are keen to visit them, check to make sure they’re open on the palace website .

I hope you’ve enjoyed my guide the the Pitti Palace. If you’re planning a trip to Florence , you may also enjoy these Florence travel guides and resources:

• Must See Sites in Florence
• 2 Days in Florence Itinerary
• 3 Days in Florence Itinerary
• Hidden Gems in Florence
• Day Trips From Florence
• Best Museums in Florenc
• How To See Michelangelo’s David
• Guide to the Bargello Museum
• Guide to the Palazzo Vecchio
• How To Climb Brunelleschi’s Dome
• Guide To The Oltrarno Neighborhood

If you’d love to explore the artistic treasures of the Pitti Palace in Florence, pin it for later.

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Last Updated on April 26, 2023 by Leslie Livingston

Top 4 Pitti Palace guided tours for the perfect experience

Things to do in Florence Florence Attractions Landmarks in Florence Pitti Palace Guided Tours

When in Florence, Italy, you will be immersed in a culture full of art, history, and Florentine culture. Florence is regarded as the birthplace of the Renaissance period. Palazzo Pitti has been built under the influence of several aristocrats over two centuries. Walk through the halls of the Palazzo Pitti, and imagine the lavish lifestyles of the royal families of Savoy, Medici, and Lorraine.

Advantages of a Pitti Palace Guided Tour

Skip the line.

With the Pitti Palace Guided Tour, you can skip the lines and start enjoying the Palazzo Pitti and the Palatine Gallery. This will allow you to get a head start on the 32,000 square meter museum complex. After all, it is estimated by most experts that it would take you more than 3 hours to roam the whole of Palazzo Pitti.

Expert guides who speak English, Italian and Spanish

While you could travel the Palazzo Pitti and its museums on your own, it is recommended that you hire a guide. With a Pitti Palace-guided tour, you will also get a guide. This guide will explain the history behind the palace. An expert guide can also help you answer all the questions you might have.

Get expert guidance and priority entrance at other places like Palatine Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art, Bardini Gardens, Porcelain Museum, and the Boboli Gardens

The main compound in the Pitti Palace compound is the Principal Palazzo block. However, there is a lot more to see in the Palazzo Pitti compound than just the principal compound. With the Pitti Palace guided tour package you can get priority access to other areas of the Pitti Palace compound.

The Best Pitti Palace Guided Tours

Guided tours, combo guided tours.

7 Things To Know Before You Buy Palazzo Pitti Tickets

Choosing the best pitti palace guided tour.

Before choosing your tour, take a look at the main features of each type of tour and then make an informed decision. Here’s a list of all your Pitti Palace tour options and their highlights.

1 Pitti Palace with Palatine Gallery

Make the most of your Florence, Italy visit by visiting the crowning jewel of Italy’s heritage- The Palazzo Pitti. Take this opportunity to visit two of the most famous museums in Europe. Also, with the help of your very own local guide, you can take in the history and opulence of the Medici family.

2 A Florence Guided Tour with Boboli Gardens

Visit the Boboli Gardens in the golden hour. Also, take in the beauty of old Italy while walking through the Vasari Corridor connecting the two banks of the river Arno. Let your passionate local guide tell you everything about the city center that leads the way to Boboli Gardens.

Pitti Palace Tours Deconstructed - A Typical Guided Tour Experience

The beauty of the Pitti Palace is in its opulence and beauty. The whole Pitti Palace compound is located on a 34,000 square meter piece of land. Therefore you can be sure that there would be a lot of walking involved! The exteriors of the complexes are just as opulent as the interiors! Here are some of the main attractions that your guided tour will take you through:

The Royal Apartments

There aren’t a lot of remaining traces of the Medici period. But The Royal Apartments remain as a memory from when the Grand Prince Ferdinando stored opulent works of art in these 14 rooms. The fourteen magnificent rooms open out into the south side of the Palazzo Pitti.

The Palatine Gallery

The Baroque opulence of the Palatine Gallery takes into account the four centuries of Grand Ducal Tuscan Lifestyle with the Renaissance and Baroque painting. Check out timeless masterpieces by grand artists like Raphael, Titians, and Ruben.

The Treasury of the Grand Dukes

The treasury of the Grand dukes is also known as the Museo degli Argenti or the Silver Museum. The museum houses a collection of art pieces. They were commissioned by the members of the Medici family. The works feature art made with crystals, silvers, amber, and of course- silver.

The Porcelain Museum

The Casino del Cavaliere complex in the Boboli gardens was a retreat for the Grand Duke. in 1973, the abandoned palace was turned into the Porcelain Museum. The collection had mostly table porcelain used by the Grand Ducal and the Royal Houses of the Medici, Lorraine, and Savoy.

Gallery of Modern Art

The Gallery is located on the second floor of the Pitti Palace and features an art collection from the 18th century to World War 1. The art pieces are described as works of neo-classical and romantic periods.

The Boboli gardens

The Boboli gardens are considered a feat in green architecture. A garden is a place of historical importance for Florence. The park boasts a wide range of flora and fauna and has statues and structures that are centuries old. Take in the Amphitheater, the garden of Cavaliere, the Koffeehouse, and the Grotta Grande.

Bardini Gardens

This hidden gem of a place is not that well known by the locals and tourists alike. The Bardini gardens become magical when the wisteria is in full bloom during April and May. The garden is perfect for an early morning or a late afternoon stroll. From certain points in the garden, you would also be able to see the whole skyline of Florence.

Is Pitti Palace Guided Tours Worth it?

Without a doubt! The whole of the Pitti Palace complex is 32,000 square meters. The complex is divided into several principal galleries and museums. To get the most out of your visit to the Pitti Palace , we would suggest you get the Pitti Palace guided tour. The Pitti Palace tickets will get you to the entrance to the Pitti Palace complex and your very own expert guide. Learn more about the history of the gilded baroque era, and the lifestyle that the Medici family lived.

Related Read: Boboli Gardens and Pitti Palace

Pitti Palace Practical Information

Opening hours.

The Pitti Palace is open to the public from 8:15 am. The Pitti Palace complex closes on 6:50 pm. The Pitti Palace complex is open from Tuesday to Sunday and is closed on all Mondays. The Pitti Palace is also closed on New Year and Christmas.

Getting to Pitti Palace

• By Bus: To reach Pitti Palace by Bus, take bus 11 or Bus 36 to reach the closest bus station, Romana.
• By Car: his is the least recommended way to visit Pitti Palace since there is almost no parking available at the destination. However, there are garages nearby where you can park your car like the Garage Fosi, Garage Lungarno, and Garage Ponte Vecchio.
• By Tram: The nearest tram station is Unita which runs the tram line T2.

Insider Tips

• To get the best out of your Pitti Palace trip, we would suggest you go from March to May. This is the spring season in Florence.
• Another best time to go to Palazzo Pitti is during the autumn season. The florentines call it the off-season, but it allows you to walk around the palace without the crowd!
• Three to four times during the year, there will be free admission days for the Palazzo Pitti. Keep on checking the website to see if any free admission days fall on your visit to Florence!
• Since the Palazzo Pitti covers a large area, make sure to wear comfortable shoes and clothes.
• Mobile phones must be kept silent, and flash photography is prohibited within Palazzo Pitti grounds.
• Of course, since the Palazzo Pitti is an institution of great historical significance, try not to wear skimpy clothing or bathing suits.

Are there locker rooms available to keep my luggage?

Yes, the Palazzo Pitti complex has cloakrooms to help accommodate people who are coming in with luggage.

Should I take a Pitti Palace guided tour?

A guided tour will help you see Palazzo Pitti from an expert's point of view. Things that you would otherwise have not noticed would be pointed out by your guide.

What attractions are there within the Palazzo Pitti complex?

A single Palazzo Pitti entry ticket will give you admission to: 

The Gallery of modern art

Treasury of the Grand Dukes

Museum of Costume and Fashion

and the Imperial and Royal Apartments.

Do children have to pay for tickets?

No, children below the age of 18 do not have to pay for any tickets.

When should I reach Palazzo Pitti?

The palace opens to the public from 8:15 am. We recommend that you try to reach by 8:30 to beat the crowds.

Ready to head to Pitti Palace ?

Purchase discounted Pitti Palace tickets via Headout today! Explore Pitti Palace in a hassle-free fashion with all the need-to-know information in hand.

Fancy heading out to some other stunning Florence attractions? Take inspiration from our list of the best things to do in Florence here.

In Florence for a few days?

In the city for a few days and want some help charting out an itinerary? Check out our 1 day in Florence and our 3 days in Florence itineraries for inspiration.

My closest mundane mates would describe me as a coffee junkie with momentary bouts of creative highs and mediocre lows. I firmly believe that life isn't picture-perfect but dogs are:) I've always had this insatiable desire for a visual representation of the life around me, it was an intrinsic part, an inbuilt function without which survival would be unimaginable. Have a lovely day ahead folks!

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