Sixteenth Century Villa di Poggio a Caiano



eleanor of toledo enters poggio caiano, fresco of giovanni stradano in palazzo vecchio


between 1513 , 1520, after return of medici, works completed on initiative of son of lorenzo magnificent, john, had in meantime became pope leo x. giuliano da sangallo, old man, able follow work , until 1516, year of death. however, works continued according plan, documented wooden model. vault of central hall on first floor made papal coat of arms (which referred leo x s lion), under direction of andrea di cosimo feltrini , franciabigio. beginning, large barrel vault had caused concern, beginning, buyers, feared collapse. fear allayed sebastiano ximenes because of work on own palazzo ximenes da sangallo in florence.


already in leo x s day, frescoes of salon started greatest florentine masters of time: pontormo, andrea del sarto , franciscan himself. paintings completed fifty years later alessandro allori, rethinking of original project in more monumental key, giving more space figures painted architectures.


the villa place foreign brides of family members in florence welcomed. here, among other events, weddings of alessandro de medici , margaret of austria (1536), between cosimo , eleanor of toledo (1539), francesco , bianca cappello lover (1579). bianca , francesco found death in villa, causes not clarified , suspected of poisoning.







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