There are already plenty of reasons to visit the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. Set in the heart of the historical part of the city, the natural flow of the tourists passing through the area, alone, could bring you to its doorstep, even if you hadn't actually planned to end up there! However, it is also an important building historically, culturally and administratively and a key sight in Florence because of its art, architecture and history. Adding to the permanent displays and the building itself are the temporary exhibitions which are often housed inside the Palazzo Vecchio.
Currently, there is a very special exhibition taking place entitled, “The Prince of Dreams. Joseph in the Medici tapestries by Pontormo and Bronzino”, which displays tapestries that were commissioned by Cosimo I de' Medici in the 16th century. Shown in the room they were made for and all together again for the first time in over a century, it is a special treat for art and design lovers. Just find a luxury villa in Florence and see these extraordinary works for yourself.
Currently, there is a very special exhibition taking place entitled, “The Prince of Dreams. Joseph in the Medici tapestries by Pontormo and Bronzino”, which displays tapestries that were commissioned by Cosimo I de' Medici in the 16th century. Shown in the room they were made for and all together again for the first time in over a century, it is a special treat for art and design lovers. Just find a luxury villa in Florence and see these extraordinary works for yourself.
The tapestries were commissioned by Cosimo I de Medici and made between 1545 and 1553 to decorate the Sala de’ Dugento at the Palazzo Vecchio, where they now find themselves once more. They are considered an important testament to Renaissance art and craft and see the meeting of the two worlds, being woven by Flemish artists Jan Rost and Nicolas Karcher using the drawings, or “cartoons”, made by Agnolo Bronzino, Jacopo Pontormo and Francesco Salviati. As the work of such masters of the Renaissance and made with silk, gold and silver threads, they are truly precious artworks in every sense of the word.
With twenty works in total, this collection represents one of the greatest tapestry cycles and commissions in Renaissance Italy. They depict stories from the biblical cycle of the History of Joseph from the Old Testament, stretching it across 80 meters of woven beauty. The cycle has been split up since the 19th century and has now be brought together again. After touring museums around Italy, it has returned in its entirety to its home in Palazzo Vecchio where ten of the works had already been on display until recently. The exhibition remains on display until the 15th of February so there is still plenty of time to check it out!
If you want to see these extraordinary works for yourself, be sure to visit the Palazzo Vecchio on your next trip to Florence!
If you want to see these extraordinary works for yourself, be sure to visit the Palazzo Vecchio on your next trip to Florence!
