Palazzo Pitti

The original palace was built in 1457 and acquired by the Medici in 1549. The thumbnails in this part of the walk focus on the magnificent Boboli gardens at the rear of the Palace. They are laid out in the classic Tuscan style and house a large collection of artwork in stone. Among the treasures on display are an ancient Egyptian obelisk from the time of Rameses II and a large stone bathing pool taken from the baths of Caracalla. The coolness of these gardens in the hot summer is as welcome in our time as it was five-hundred years ago.