Escape the Crowds in Florence
6 Top Reasons to Explore the Boboli Gardens
by Maureen C. Bruschi
Dazzling art and architecture flourish in Florence, Italy. Renaissance
paintings and frescoes, sculptures and statues, and sacred tombs and
monuments cram Tuscany’s capital.
However when you need a break from Michelangelo’s famous David, the
Baptistery’s magnificent mosaic images of Christ, or the Galleria degli
Uffizi’s greatest collection of Italian Renaissance art, head to the Boboli
Gardens. Tucked away behind Palazzo Pitti (Pitti Palace), you’ll be truly
amazed to discover Florence’s most exquisite outdoor museum.
In the mid-16th century, the Medici family moved into Palazzo
Pitti and designed and built the gardens directly behind the palace. The
Boboli Gardens were created as a site for elite parties and government
receptions held by the Medici Court. (The Medici family bought the palace
from banker Luca Pitti, hence the name Pitti Palace.)
Before you begin your outing to the Boboli Gardens, I have a couple of
suggestions that might make your visit a little more enjoyable. First, make
sure you’re wearing your favorite walking shoes. There’s plenty to see in
the Medici family’s gardens and lots of uphill walking. Second, stop at the
bookstore as you enter the gardens on your left and pick up the Boboli
Gardens’ guidebook (well worth the 6,20 Euros). Their guidebook helps you
move around the gardens efficiently and understand what you’re looking at.
Take a moment to get your bearings. The gardens are enormous, complete with
fountains, statues, grottos, artificial lakes, lawns, wooded hillside
pathways, and at its highest level, the Knight’s Garden and Knight’s Lodge
that houses the Porcelain Museum.
You could spend anywhere from two to four hours exploring Boboli Gardens’
111 acres of extravagantly landscaped gardens. If you only have an hour or
two to spare, here are six key garden sights you won’t want to miss.
Fontana del Carciofo (Artichoke Fountain)
 Stroll through Ammannati
Courtyard, the inner courtyard of the Pitti Palace, and take the door
leading to a large stairway. At the top of the stairway you’ll find a wide
square enclosing the Fontana del Carciofo designed by Francesco Susini
(1641). Tiny statues capped by a bronze artichoke decorate the fountain’s
large octagonal basin.
Wander over to the terrace overlooking the fountain and glance back at Pitti
Palace. You’ll notice that the fountain was designed to be level with the
piano nobile windows of the Pitti Palace’s garden façade. In Renaissance
buildings, the piano nobile windows indicated the enhanced status of the
room compared to the floors above and below.
Grotta del Buontalenti (Grotta Grande)
Before you explore the Amphitheatre, take the path on your left and head
towards the Grotta del Buontalenti, located on the northern side of Bacchus
Square. The Grotta del Buontalenti converted from a plant nursery to a
grotto around 1583. The statues of Ceres and Apollo, separated by two red
Monterantoli stone columns with marble bases, guard the entrance to the
grotto.
The Grotta del Buontalenti contains 3 chambers.
The chambers are not always accessible to visitors. I was lucky. A guard
stationed nearby unlocked the grotto’s gate and I had a chance to wander
into the first and second chambers. (The third chamber was roped off.)
  In
the first chamber you’ll discover copies of Michelangelo’s Prisoners in the
grotto’s corners. Look closely and you’ll also notice untold stories
portrayed by wall and ceiling frescoes, as well as a number of odd figures,
sheep and shepherds, and stalagmites and stalactites.
 In the second chamber,
you’ll find Vincenzo de’ Rossi’s sculpture of Theseus and Helen (1587).
The innermost chamber houses
Giambologna’s masterpiece Venus.
Grotticina di Madama (Grotto of Madam)
 A narrow path from Grotta
del Buontalenti will lead you to the oldest grotto in Boboli Gardens,
Grotticina di Madama. Here you’ll find stalactites, wall frescoes depicting
goats, and a stunning two-colored terracotta floor.
The Amphitheatre
Head back to the terrace behind the Pitti Palace and take in the immense
amphitheatre facing the palace courtyard. This horseshoe-shaped arena staged
classical operas and plays.
 At the center of the
amphitheatre stands an Egyptian obelisk, brought from the Villa Medici in
Rome, and a granite basin taken from the Baths of Caracalla.
The Baths of Caracalla is the second largest bath complex in ancient
Rome dating back to AD 211. Twenty-four statues and terracotta urns, painted
to resemble marble, surround the amphitheatre.
The Forcone Basin (Neptune Fountain)
 Here your walk becomes a bit
of a challenge. Continue your climb to the terrace behind the Amphitheatre
and you’ll pass three statues. “Ceres”, the Roman goddess of agriculture is
in the middle, with “Emperor” on the right and “Togaed” on the left. Follow
the steep sloping path and you’ll discover the Forcone Basin. A bronze
statue of Neptune, dating back to 1571, stands in the center of the pond.
The Knight’s Garden and Lodge (The Porcelain Museum)
 
 Once you past the white
marbled statue of Abundance holding a bronze sheaf of wheat, you’ve made it
to the top. Take a break and
enjoy a magnificent view of the Florentine hills from the Knight’s Garden
and Lodge. The Knight’s Lodge (Casino del Cavaliere) originally stored
pots and vases and later became a meeting place for scholars and scientists.
Today it houses the Museo
delle Porcellane (the Porcelain Museum), a collection of porcelain vases,
plates and figurines dating from the 18th century.
 
Time permitting, you may want to explore the Kaffeehaus, an attractive 18th
century Rococo-style pavilion;
Cypress Lane (Il Viottolone), the main path leading thorough the gardens,
lined with cypresses and statues; Island Pond (Vasca dell’Isola), a small
island filled with citrus plants and roses; and Meadow of Columns (Prato
delle Colonne).
IF YOU GO:
For More Information:
Boboli Gardens,
Piazza Pitti, 1-50125, Florence; Telephone – 055 2388786. The Boboli Gardens
are located on the south bank of the river Arno near the celebrated Ponte
Vecchio (Florence’s most famous bridge, known for its historical goldsmith
shops). From the bridge, head up Via De’ Guicciardini to Palazzo Pitti.
Behind the palace you’ll find the gardens.
Hours at the museum vary by season. It costs 10 Euros for entry to Boboli
Gardens which includes the Museo delle Procellane. The gardens are closed
the first and fourth Monday of the month and some holidays.
If you are also interested in visiting Palazzo Pitti and its museums,
there are various combination tickets available.
www.firenzeturismo.it
– Official Tourism Board of Florence
Getting Around:
By Air:
Florence’s Amerigo Vespucci Airport (Peretola Airport) is only about 2.5
miles northwest of central Florence, but it is a tiny airport operated by a
limited number of small international and U.S. airlines. Pisa’s Galileo
Galilei Airport is about 59 miles west of Florence and is served by major
European and US airlines.
By Car:
Driving in Florence is next to impossible. If you’re visiting by car, park
in a garage as soon as you can or leave your car at your hotel. Boboli
Gardens and the majority of Florence’s key landmarks are accessible by
walking.
Where to Stay:
www.hotelboboli.com.
Hotel Boboli, Via Romana 63, Florence is a short distance from Boboli
Gardens and Ponte Vecchio. Some rooms overlook the gardens.
by Maureen C. Bruschi
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