The Pitti palace was originally built by a wealthy banker named Pitti in 1458. Almost 100 years later, Medici family moved in and expansion began. The family’s official residence was The Palazzo Vecchio and the Pitti Palace was used mostly for guests and private functions. They could walk indoors from the both residences though a series of covered walkways that crossed the river on the Ponte Vecchio.

In the 1700’s Napoleon took it over as his base. It was also the home of the Italian royal family for a short time before Italy became a republic. The king donated the palace and its contents to the state in 1919.

We arrived through the Boboli Gardens behind the palace. They are acres of ornate, manicured gardens connected to the palace. We didn’t spend much time in the gardens as we wanted to get too tired before the museum tour.

As we got to the front of the building, we saw that a ceremony of sorts was happening.

The ceremony celebrated an economic pact between Italy and Germany.

We started our tour and did our obligatory climb up six long flights of stone stairs. It was worth the climb.

The walls and ceilings were covered in paintings. The rooms were richly decorated and there was a lot to see. There was also a great number of statues. This one was original to the entrance to the Boboli Gardens and has recently been restored.

The top floor of the palace was “modern art” which really meant anything from the 1800-present era.

We had lunch in town and then headed back to our villa for a swim. It’s been the great having the fun of the big city and the comfort of a small town. Our bus ride in was 30 minutes and our bus stop was just outside a grocery store.

We are now transitioning from holiday mode to conference going. We are taking the train from Florence to Rome. I am looking forward to train ride.