Boboli gardens italy. Boboli Gardens. Boboli Gardens in Florence

Boboli Gardens (Florence, Italy): detailed description, address and photo. Opportunities for sports and recreation, infrastructure, cafes and restaurants in the park. Reviews from tourists.

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The world-famous Boboli Gardens, located next to the residence of the Medici Dukes, Palazzo Pitti, are considered a museum of garden sculpture. Why is this park so interesting? Firstly, it is very beautiful - there are a huge number of all kinds of terraces, fountains, grottoes and gazebos. Secondly, the gardens contain sculptures created at different times - from antiquity to the 17th century. And finally, the most important argument - the Boboli Gardens served as a model according to which all European royal parks, including Versailles, were laid out. It is also worth admiring this park because it offers a beautiful panoramic view of Florence.

The Boboli Gardens, located in Florence, served as a model for all European royal parks, including Versailles.

The park owes its name to the hill of the same name. The idea to create a park here belonged to Eleanor of Toledo, the wife of Duke Cosimo I de' Medici. She wanted to create not just a beautiful park, but the best one to highlight the wealth and influence of her family. The best Italian architects and sculptors have been working on bringing the idea to life since 1549.

Boboli Gardens

At all times, many different events took place in the Boboli Gardens. Under the Medici, lavish receptions were held here, performances and celebrations were held. Today, the park also often hosts musical and theatrical performances, as well as exhibitions. By the way, the park has been open to visitors since 1766.

The Boboli Gardens are home to an amphitheater that hosted the very first opera performances in the world. The amphitheater is also interesting because it houses an Egyptian obelisk brought from Luxor.

The Boboli Gardens are divided by long center paths and wide gravel paths. It is worth noting that on the main axial path you will be able to see the Neptune Fountain. Locals jokingly call it the fountain with a fork. By the way, almost all sculptures have their own historical value. For example, near one of the grottoes there are statues of slaves - exact copies of Michelangelo’s “Slaves”. Nearby there is a statue of a fat man sitting astride a turtle - this is the court jester of Duke Cosimo I.

It is known that the great Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky and his wife loved to walk in the Boboli Gardens.

Practical information

Entrance fee 10 EUR (high season). The gardens open at 8:15 all year round, but close depending on the season. From November to February the gardens are open until 16:30. In March - until 17:30. In April, May, September and October - until 18:30. From June to August you can walk in Boboli Park until 19:30.

Prices on the page are as of September 2018.

Entrance ticket to the Boboli Gardens NOT valid for visits to the Royal Apartments and the Palatine Gallery. Tickets to Pitti Palace must be purchased separately.

The Boboli Gardens are closed to the public on the first and last Monday of the month. Admission to the Boboli Gardens is free for children under 18, but Select Italy recommends booking tickets in advance to avoid queues. Please note that there is a fee for booking tickets.

Entrance to the Boboli Gardens with pre-reserved tickets is every 15 minutes from 8:15 to 17:30. The gardens close at dusk, with closing times varying throughout the year.

The time spent in the park is not limited. It's best to plan at least 2 hours.

The Boboli Gardens are closed every first and last Monday of the month, as well as on December 25, January 1 and May 1.

Ticket order confirmation takes place within one working day. If you order tickets on Friday, confirmation will not be received until Monday.

The Boboli Gardens are located on the slopes of Boboli Hill behind Palazzo Pitti, close to the Ponte Vecchio and just 5 minutes' walk from the Uffizi Gallery, 10 minutes' walk from the Duomo and 20 minutes' walk from the Accademia Gallery.

Select Italy does not sell tickets valid for simultaneous admission to the Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens. Tickets are sold separately.

You can visit the Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens in the same day. Plan to visit the palace first, and then 2 hours later visit the gardens.

Children under 5 years old entry free. There are no discounts for older children and pensioners.

The Boboli Gardens are wheelchair accessible.

The powerful Medici family created the amazing Boboli Gardens in the sixteenth century. Beautiful Italian gardens with many statues and fountains are spread around the Pitti Palace, forming a single architectural and landscape ensemble.

The Pitti Palace came into the possession of the Medici in 1549, when Eleonora di Toledo bought it from its bankrupt owners. Her husband, Duke Cosimo I, hired the most renowned architects and landscape designers to create a large garden at the back of the palace. The result is an elegant garden in the Italian Renaissance style with a geometric layout. In subsequent years, the grounds of the Boboli Gardens were expanded several times, numerous statues and fountains were added, and in 1776 the area was opened to visitors. Some parts of the park were created artificially in perfect geometric proportions, while others are natural.

Thanks to its clever topography, the Boboli Gardens offer the best views of Florence from any of its many terraces. Of the several entrances to the park, the most popular is located at Pitti Square and Piazzale Porta Romana in the eastern part of the park. You can buy a separate ticket for the Boboli Gardens, or a combined pass for the Pitti Palace and the park. Please note that the opening hours of one of Italy's most beautiful gardens may vary depending on the time of year.

Entering from Piazza Pitti you will walk along the Bacchus Fountain - one of the most prominent fountains in the park. Nearby are two Roman statues that adorned the former entrance to the Gardens. On the left side of the complex is an artificial grotto known as the Grotto Grande, or Grotto del Buontalenti, after the designer of this ornate cave. The grotto was reconstructed between 1583 and 1588, including three interconnected halls with a collection of sculptures.

Here you can see copies of the statues of the Four Slaves - Michelangelo's unfinished creation for the tomb of Pope Julius II. It seems as if the slaves came to life and are trying to break free from the block of marble - the master was able to convey his idea so realistically. The original sculptures are in the Academy Gallery. In the second hall of the Grotto there is a sculpture by Vincenzo de Rossi "Paris and Helen", created in 1560. Other rooms also contain many impressive pieces of history. Unfortunately, the Grotto is often closed to visitors. To the north of the Grotto Grande are terraced gardens leading to the Coffee House. The elegant Rococo style pavilion was built in 1775 and is still in use today. In the center of the garden next to the Coffee House there is a small fountain depicting the ancient Greek hero Ganymede riding an eagle.

The amphitheater of the Boboli Gardens can be seen directly behind the Pitti Palace. Its niches contain numerous classical statues and urns. The Egyptian obelisk in the middle of the amphitheater belonged to Pharaoh Ramses II. It was brought to Rome from Heliopolis and then transported to Florence. Behind the amphitheater there is a small pond with a Neptune fountain in the center. The fountain was created in 1565-1568 by master Stoldo Lorenzi. Higher up the slope there is a small rose garden with a fountain in the center, known as the Garden of the Knights. Its terrace offers one of the best views of Florence and its attractions. The Porcelain Museum is located in a small building next to the rose garden.

In the western part of the Boboli Gardens, wildlife flourishes with thickets and forests. The central alley of Viottolone runs through these areas. An avenue of cypress trees with statues leads to the lake with the small island of Isolotto and a pretty fountain created by Giambologna in 1576. Sculptures of mysterious mythological creatures guard the passages to the island on all sides.

Address: Boboli Gardens, Piazza Pitti, 1, 50125 Florence, Italy. You can get here by any public transport.

The Boboli Gardens in Florence are a perfectly preserved Renaissance urban garden. The gardens are named after the hill on which they are located. Boboli is pronounced with the emphasis on the first syllable. Thanks to numerous statues of great sculptors, grottoes, and examples of landscape design, the gardens have long become one of the museums of the capital of Tuscany, with a wealth of masterpieces that is not inferior to any of the palaces of Florence.

The main landmark for those who want to get to the Boboli Gardens is Pitti Palace From the center (in Florence all routes start from ) you can take buses 36,37 and 11 to San Felice stops. Or you can walk for 15 minutes. The path will be indicated by signs with the inscription "Giardino di Boboli".

Visitors are allowed into the garden depending on the time of year:

8:15-16:30 - from November to February;
8:15-17:30 - in March;
8:15-18:30 - in April, May, September and October;
8:15-19:30 - June, July, August.

First and last Monday of every month - gardens are closed, gardeners and interior masters work here. Christmas (December 25), New Year (January 1) and May 1 are days off.

Entrance ticket - 7 euros. There are no queues. There is no point in buying expensive things on the Internet. The ticket price includes visits to several museums: the Silver Museum and Costume Gallery in the Pitti Palace, the Porcelain Museum in the gardens, as well as the Bardini Gardens - the Mozzi family's vegetable garden, turned into an excellent landscape park.

What's interesting about the Boboli Gardens?

The past and present of the pride of the omnipresent Medici in Tuscany

Past

In Florence, the Medici had envious people. Seeing the fabulously quickly growing rich family, acquiring more and more power, the noble families of Tuscany did their best to outdo the Medici in at least something. So the Pitti, noble and wealthy Florentines, began building a family palace in the latest fashion; more than anything they wanted to “wipe their noses” with the arrogant Medici.

Nothing came of this venture for Pitti. The family ran out of money; they couldn’t even finish the construction. To make the humiliation stronger and more offensive, Cosimo de Medici entrusted the purchase of the “unfinished building” to his wife, who purchased the palace. Behind the palace, a hillside covered with bushes was discovered. From the top of the hill there was an excellent view of the city - a great place to build something that would capture the imagination of the townspeople. To create a magnificent park with alleys, terraces, sculptures, grottoes and gazebos, the best of the best were invited: Vasari, Buontalenti, del Rosso, Parigi, Lorenzi. The result was the Boboli Gardens, which became a model for all parks in Italy and throughout Europe for several centuries. This is the story...

The present

Of all the many attractions of the park, it is worth paying special attention to:

Alleys, terraces, flower beds, greenhouses, labyrinths - there are places to spend time in the Boboli Gardens. There are several dozen sculptures in the park, including masterpieces of the Renaissance, Baroque, and Classicism. In spring and summer, floral scents make your head spin. Any object in the gardens can be easily found on the map that comes with the ticket.

The best time to visit the gardens is in the morning, when the sun is not so hot. Take water with you, since there is no cafe or restaurant on the territory of the gardens, but it is quite possible to bring food into the park. There are several lawns designated for breakfast on the grass. And every Florentine knows what a picnic in Boboli is.

Andres Jakubovskis

The world-famous Boboli Gardens, located next to the residence of the Medici Dukes, Palazzo Pitti, are a masterpiece of landscape art in Italy of the 16th century. The idea to create such a park belonged to Eleanor of Toledo, the wife of Duke Cosimo I de' Medici, who wanted to make the best park in the world to emphasize the wealth and influence of her family. The best Italian architects and sculptors have been working on bringing the idea to life since 1549.

Past

Thanks to numerous statues of great sculptors, grottoes, and examples of landscape design, the gardens have long become one of the museums of the capital of Tuscany, with a wealth of masterpieces that is not inferior to any of the palaces of Florence.

At all times, many different events took place in the Boboli Gardens. Under the Medici, lavish receptions were held here, performances and celebrations were held. The Boboli Gardens are home to an amphitheater that hosted the very first opera performances in the world. The amphitheater is also interesting because it houses an Egyptian obelisk brought from Luxor.

Today you can often see musical and theatrical performances, as well as exhibitions here. The park's paths, strewn with rustling gravel, resemble labyrinths, here and there covered with ivy, shaded by tall oaks and graceful cypresses. It is worth noting that on the main axial path there is a fountain of Neptune, near one of the grottoes there are statues of slaves - exact copies of Michelangelo’s “Slaves”, and there is also a statue of a fat man sitting astride a turtle - this is the court jester of Duke Cosimo I.
By the way, the park has been open to visitors since 1766.

City view. In the northern part of the park there is a panoramic platform with an excellent view of the Florentine rooftops.

It is noteworthy that the Boboli Gardens are not only a beautiful park created in the best traditions of Italian gardening art, but also a unique open-air museum of garden sculpture, which presents both monuments of antiquity and works of famous masters of the 16th and 17th centuries.

Fountain "Neptune"

The bronze statue of Neptune with naiads and tritons by Stoldo Lorenzi dates from 1565-1568. The central staircase ends at the marble statue of Abundance, created by Giambologna with the help of Pietro Tacca and Sebastiano Salvini. The allegorical figure clearly symbolizes the prosperity of the Grand Duchy.

Neptune with Naiads and Tritons by Stoldo Lorenzi

Fountain "Ocean"

fountain fragment

garden dweller on the fountain parapet

The marble statue of Abundance, created by Giambologna with the help of Pietro Tacca and Sebastiano Salvini, the statues of Dionysus and Ceres by Baccio Bandinelli and many others.

garden dwarf

From Dan Brown's book "Inferno": Still holding on to the bushes, Langdon boldly walked forward, straight into the blank wall. Siena quickly glanced at it, looking for some kind of opening, but in the wall there was only a niche with a completely disgusting-looking statue. Lord God, the Medici could have bought any masterpiece in the world, but they chose this?!
The statue depicted a fat, naked dwarf riding a giant turtle. The dwarf's testicles were flattened on the turtle's shell, and water was dripping from her mouth, as if she was sick.
“I know, I know,” Langdon said, without slowing down. - This is Braccio di Bartolo - the famous court jester. For me, it would be better to put him in that huge bathtub.

Sculptural group on the Viottolone alley

park sculpture

Pegasus

guard dog

Amphitheater

It was built on the site where stone was quarried for the construction of Palazzo Pitti.
The territory of the park is divided into parts by axial alleys and gravel paths. This is exactly how it was customary to design the territory in the 16th century. The main path, lined with holm oaks and cypress trees, starts at the amphitheater and leads directly to the rear of the palazzo.

The amphitheater has six rows of stone seats topped by an ornate balustrade. Initially, 24 niches contained antique statues with figures of dogs and other animals on the sides. In 1818, Giuseppe Cacialli renovated the amphitheater, placing terracotta urns decorated with artificial marble between the statues. On the steep slope leading to the Chalice of Forcone (a semicircular lawn connecting the first two levels, located at the exit of the amphitheater), there are statues of the Romans, the Emperor and Ceres.

Egyptian obelisk. In the center of the amphitheater you can see an obelisk, which was brought from the previous residence of the Medici, and brought there from Egypt itself (Luxor).

Cavaliere Garden

The Cavaliere Garden is a decorative terrace. Peonies and roses bloom here at different times, and there is a beautiful view of the picturesque surrounding hills, olive groves, and the magnificent facade of the Basilica of San Miniato.

Cavalieri Garden - magnificent rose gardens on the terrace

View from the Cavaliere Garden

Chestnut meadow

Tindaro Screpolato. According to the sculptor himself, the sculpture symbolizes tenacity of character and courage in the face of inexorably passing years, but at the same time shows how short-lived the prime of human strength is. You get the feeling that the sculpture was installed here centuries ago and has already become part of a luxurious garden.

Atlas cedar

Buontalenti Grotto

The Grotto of Buontalenti is a unique collaboration between the skill of Mother Nature and the diligent efforts of sculptors. The cave, which is located at the back of the Pitti Palace, began to be ennobled between 1583 and 1593. The customer was Francesco I de' Medici.

The grotto was created to solve the problem of combining areas that are at different levels, since the courtyard is lower than the amphitheater located behind it. The entrance to the Buontalenti Grotto, in addition to artificial stalactites and stalagmites, also contains copies of Michelangelo's Slaves.

Grotto ceiling. From floor to ceiling they are covered with wall paintings depicting a fantastic garden in which you can see goats, sheep, monkeys and even cheetahs.

At that time, it was very fashionable to invite artists and architects to design decorative caves, reconstructing the natural topography. The grottoes were decorated with fountains, sculptures and frescoes on esoteric and mythological themes.

Bathing Venus

Inside is the same secret passage to the Ponte Vecchio that was used during the war. The cave is a masterpiece of building skill and Mannerist culture, which here created a special mixture of architecture, painting and sculpture. Already at the very entrance to the cave, on both sides of the opening there are many niches with statues of Ceres and Apollo standing there.

In addition, the Boboli Gardens are part of a single museum complex of the Pitti Palace. There are museums in the park and in the palace itself.

Pitti Palace

Palazzo Pitti is the largest palace and one of the largest museum complexes in Florence.

Artichoke Fountain. Work by Francesco Susini (1639-1641).

This magnificent building was once the residence of the Grand Dukes of Tuscany (including the Medici clan) and the King of Italy when he came here on important state visits. Today, the Pitti Palace is a magnificent museum complex housing valuable collections of paintings and sculptures, costumes, silver and porcelain. He also owns the famous Boboli Gardens, one of the oldest and most beautiful examples of Italian gardening art.

Luca Fancelli, a student of the great architect Filippo Brunelleschi, designed the palazzo and supervised its construction. In front of the building is a large inclined oval square, where on a summer day you can regularly see travelers, students, artists and other lovers of free life reclining on the ground.

Today, on the territory of the Pitti Palace and the Boboli Gardens there are: the Palatine Gallery, the Royal Apartments, the Silver Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the Costume Gallery, the Porcelain Museum and the Carriage Museum.

The Palatine Gallery was opened to the general public in 1828, during the reign of the House of Lorraine. Among the luxurious rooms decorated in the Baroque style, the so-called mythological rooms dedicated to Venus, Apollo, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, painted by Pietro da Cortona, deserve special attention. Among all this splendor are paintings in rich frames collected by representatives of the Medici dynasty and the Dukes of Lorraine. The picturesque masterpieces are not placed in chronological order, but in accordance with the tastes of the former owners.

The Palatine Gallery houses the world's largest collection of Raphael's paintings, including 11 canvases. Many of them, as well as works by Titian, were part of the dowry of Vittoria della Rovere, daughter of the Duke of Urbino and wife of Ferdinando II de' Medici.

The walls of the Palatine Gallery are decorated with paintings by Renaissance masters

There are also paintings by famous Florentine artists: Pollaiolo, Rosso Fiorentino, Fra Bartolomeo, Andrea del Sarto, Bronzino, Pontormo, Filippo Lippi. The museum's collection includes works by Caravaggio, Murillo, Velazquez, Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck, and Frans Pourbus.

Silver Museum

The Silver Museum is a unique collection located in the Pitti Palace. It presents art objects that Lorenzo the Magnificent de' Medici began collecting.

The Silver Museum houses a collection of vases by Lorenzo di Piero de' Medici "The Magnificent". Here are products made in Ancient Rome, the Sassanid Empire, Byzantium, Venice, Germany and other countries. This museum is a real treasury, as many items are made of gold, silver, ivory and decorated with precious stones.

Costume gallery

The Costume Gallery is considered the only museum in Florence that covers the themes of historical fashion, clothing and accessories from the 16th century to the beginning of the 20th century, amounting to approximately 6,000 exhibits.

Porcelain Museum

The Porcelain Museum is housed in the Knight Casino, located in the Knight Garden, part of the Boboli Garden, where collections of cutlery and other tableware are displayed, all made of porcelain, used in the past by large ducal families.

Portrait of Napoleon in the Porcelain Museum

Boboli is also very valuable from the point of view of landscape design - alleys of cypresses and hollies, harmoniously dividing the space; boxwood hedges, lawns and flowers, giving it exceptional interest and extraordinary attractiveness; containers of citrus fruits forming the Isolotto island garden.

Thank you for the photos provided