Studiolo di Francesco^
On the balcony explaining tresses with the Salon dei Cinquecento behind me^
So I started giving tours of the Secret Passages of Palazzo Vecchio this week and I'm totally loving it! It's not just the secret passages, though. It's about an hour and 15 minutes and is the equivalent of a serious stair-master workout! Since you can't be here to take the tour, here's the cliff notes of what I do!
1. Some history of Palazzo Vecchio and up the secret staircase that was cut into the stone wall
2. More history plus introduce the Medici family and introduce alchemy
3. Spend a long time in the Studiolo dei Francesco (Francesco's studio to store his alchemy collections), the paintings, the ceiling, and the alchemist theories that connect this entire room...seriously, it's really really really cool!
4. Reveal the next secret passage behind a painting - usually to lots of oohs and awes
5. Go through the passage into Cosimo di Medici's Treasury where he kept his collections
6. Go through the next secret door back to the Studiolo
7. Salon dei Cinquecento (Room of 500) for history, stuff about Michelangelo and Leonardo's unfinished frescos, how Vasari redecorated and raised the ceiling up, more paintings, etc.
8. Up to the balcony in the Salon to discuss tresses to explain how the ceiling is held up (see photo)
9. Up to the attic to see the tresses!
10. Back to the balcony for questions and thank yous
Whew! That photo is thanks to my wonderful friend Emily who came on my tour the other day and discovered that if you name drop and say that you know me, you only have a pay 1 euro instead of 6.
Also, ANNA O'CONNOR IS COMING TOMORROW!
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ReplyDeleteHannah this is such an amazing place! You know I teach a major unit on the Renaissance every year including the Medici family and of course all of the great artists of Firenze! I am blown away that this is where you work.....keep the pictures coming! This gives me goosebumps!
ReplyDeleteLove,Felicia