History Villa di Poggio a Caiano




1 history

1.1 fifteenth century
1.2 sixteenth century
1.3 seventeenth , eighteenth century
1.4 nineteenth century
1.5 20th century , contemporary era
1.6 proposals future





history
fifteenth century

the villa located in middle of hilltop, last offshoot of montalbano mountains, in strategic position, lying on promontory towards ombrone river , plain , dominating road between florence , pistoia, overwhelms small heights here.



entrance park


it built lorenzo de medici after buying rustic farm giovanni rucellai, in turn had bought simple fortress palla strozzi, built cancellieri family of pistoia @ beginning of fifteenth century.


after period of intensive land acquisition medici family, in area of poggio caiano , on other bank of ombrone river, @ tavola, between 1470 , 1474, lorenzo commissioned giuliano da sangallo build villa became prototype of country s noble residences in following centuries. in fact, lorenzo, through favorite architect, among first conceive of agrarian space in territory ordered , shaped according requirements of harmony. @ time began set idea of villa-fortress (like medici villa of careggi, more castle made thirty years ago michelozzo cosimo elder, grandfather of lorenzo). new aptitude due political issues, period of peace , stability reached lorenzo s politics, , philosophical, according humanists.


among innovations of era, porch placed on ground floor (almost interconnected area between surrounding landscape , villa), classic porch , pediment on noble floor , lack of central courtyard. gradually villa enriched works in continuum between architecture, painting , sculpture. fresco of filippino lippi dates period under loggia on first floor , perhaps glazed majolica pediment attributed andrea sansovino (some historians refer second constructive step).


giuliano da sangallo building within estate: square , bastioned structure @ central court, called cascine located on other shore of umbrella , which, center of agricultural activity, built before villa, ideal counterweight in overall territorial design.


at death of lorenzo in 1492 work @ villa still largely unfinished , halted between 1495 , 1513 because of exile of medici florence. villa complete third, base (ttura) complete porch , floor planks on first floor of vault of vault had cover central salon.


sixteenth century

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.


seventeenth , eighteenth century

in 1661 came florence marguerite louise d orléans, cousin of louis xiv , wife of cosimo iii. princess, profoundly different cosimo s dark , ultra-religious character, , above overwhelmed grand duke s vittoria della rovere, relegated poggio caiano. in order alleviate captivity , in addition follow-up of 150 people, built theater on ground floor before returning permanently france in 1675.


there comedies in theatrical theater , here had assembled unique collection called cabinet of works in small of famous painters. picture gallery set in single room of villa, contained 174 paintings of many different painters, largest of measured 100x75 cm, , included works of important authors, dürer, leonardo da vinci, raffaello sanzio, rubens , on. today no longer admirable because dissected in 1773 habsburg-lorraine. cabinet room frescoed sebastiano ricci allegory of arts, work has been lost in subsequent renovations. monumental organ of roman lorenzo testa (1703), in palazzo pitti , today in theater, result of ferdinand s desire.


the necessary maintenance work , periodic restoration carried out, though, according economic strategy, intended resize landholdings: began no longer use villas (such ambrogiana , lappeggi), bringing furnishings palazzo pitti , surviving residences. poggio caiano did not suffer fate, , few furnishings testify period, such small wooden chest of drawers inlays depicting views , landscapes. architects giuseppe , giovan battista ruggeri cared general restoration, renovation of theater , affixing of clock on facade.


at time of ferdinand iii of tuscany, park in front of villa equipped fun facilities: flying arcana , swing, donkey rider , carousel of horses , still stored in store.


nineteenth century

concerts held @ theater of villa included giovanni paisello, etienne nicolas méhul , gaspare spontini. frescoes of neoclassical luigi catani in hallway in entrance hall on first floor , in seventeen rooms of villa, various guided artists collaborated catani.



detail of diana temple in english garden


always on commission elisa baciocchi, in 1811 giuseppe manetti designed new english gardens, featuring irregular avenues, pond, , small neoclassical pavilions, such conical glacier , temple of diana. project completed later , partially.


with restoration (1819) repairs , restoration work continued (especially in garden lemonaia built, solemn work pasquale poccianti, , english park completed.


in 1828 sundials arranged on sides of building, while interior of villa updated fine furnishings royal palaces of modena, piacenza, parma, torino, lucca , bologna, heritage of new unitary kingdom.


20th century , contemporary era

during second world war, villa used haven bombing important works of art on tuscany, such statues of michelangelo or monument of 4 moors of livorno, etc. in addition, during passage of forehead, took shelter displaced population took refuge in large underground subdivisions of period:.


in 1984 became national museum , since has begun important restoration cycle, precious inventory dated 1911, interior of villa re-constructed as possible, recovering objects, furniture , artwork scattered among various museums , state depots.


in villa , in gardens filmed scenes of movie darling (1965) directed john schlesinger.


the restoration concluded in 2007 opening public of second floor, museum of still life housed, in great paintings of bartolomeo bimbi other works medici villas of castello, topaia, ambrogiana other superintendence deposits. topaia, ambrogiana , other depots of superintendence.


on night of 6 march 2017, 30 meters of wall surrounding villa grounds collapsed. heavy rainfall had undermined foundation.


proposals future

the activity of researchers , restorers has focused on recovery make available public in other environments of villa. among them 17th-century cucinone , underground criptoportico link villa. environment 1 of best preserved examples of architecture tailored home needs of court: includes several rooms laundry use , vegetable garden aromatic herbs use in kitchens. along ballroom hall , once playground, these rooms used exhibition of eighteenth-century rides.








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