Belvedere (Florence)
The Forte di Belvedere (often simply called Belvedere ) in Florence is one of the two fortresses of Florence and was built by Grand Duke Ferdinand I of Tuscany from 1590 to 1595 according to plans by Bernardo Buontalenti in order to give Florence and the rule of the Medici over the city secure and demonstrate.
The Belvedere lies on the same side of the Arno River as the grand ducal palace, the Palazzo Pitti , directly adjoining the Boboli Gardens behind it, and offers a view of the city. The buildings were occasionally used as an exhibition space.
history
The construction of this fortress took place in a somewhat secure internal political situation and was primarily intended to demonstrate the grand ducal power. Inside the mighty bastion fortifications, Buontalenti built an elegant Medici villa , the Palazzetto del Belvedere , to which a lunette by Giusto Utens is dedicated.
The Grand Duke resided here during the plague epidemic in 1600.
After a long period of military use, the Belvedere was opened to the public in the 19th century. In the 20th century, a long period of closure ended in 1951, but only for special exhibitions ranging from artists such as Henry Moore and Fernando Botero to the Ferrari car brand . In recent years the fortress area was closed again as a result of two fatal crashes by visitors.
literature
- Stanislaus von Moos : tower and bulwark. Contributions to a political iconography of Italian Renaissance architecture. Atlantis-Verlag, Zurich et al. 1975, ISBN 3-7611-0434-0 .
- Laura Alidori: Le dimore dei Medici in Toscana. Florence, Polistampa 1995.
Web links
Coordinates: 43 ° 45 ′ 48 ″ N , 11 ° 15 ′ 12 ″ E