PITTI PALACE. A celebrated Florentine palace of the Early Renaissance. now used a- a ro‘al residence. It is the largest palace except the Vatican in Italy, and one of the most impos ing in the world. A t:.pieal Horentine palter of the fifteenth century, part fortress, part residence, it a tor sod i structure,. The 1111 1,0..ing character of the fie;ade is ilue to the use of rough-hewn stone. giSing a massive effect, and to the simple and harmonious proportions of the three stories. This effect i- heightened by its situation upon a hill on the left bank of the Arno; behind it are the beautiful Boholi The palace was designed in 1440 by Brunel le-chi for Luca I'itti, then chief magistrate of the Republic. Brunelle-chi lived to complete the first story and after Luca's fall the building was not resumed until tlu• palace was purchased by the ducal family and made their residence. In 15(.8
.Ammanati was employed to 'mike a new design to replace Brunelleschi's lost plan. To him is due the celebrated court of the palace—a rather un fortunate attempt to use rustic• work with pilas ters. The wings of the facade date from 1020, being an addition to Brunelleschi's more simple plan, and the building was not completed till 1830.
Within the palace, and open to the general public, is one of the most important collections of paintings in the world, although numbering but 500 specimens. It is especially rich in Flo rentine masters of the fifteenth century, and pos sesses tine examples of Andrea del Sarto, Gior gione, Titian, besides six of the very best Raphael,. falter European schools are rep resented by Diirer. Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Murillo, and Velazquez.