
The Giardini di Boboli offer a rare park in busy Florence—and the birthplace of opera—in terraces of greenery behind the princely Renaissance Pitti Palace
The statue-filled park behind the Pitti Palace is one of the earliest and finest Renaissance gardens, laid out mostly between 1549 and 1656 with box hedges in geometric patterns, groves of ilex, dozens of statues, and rows of cypress.
In 1766, it was opened to the Florentine public, who still come here with their families for Sunday-morning strolls.
The birth of opera
Just above the entrance through the courtyard of the Palazzo Pitti is an oblong amphitheater, modeled on Roman circuses and constrcuted in 1630–35 by Giulio and Alfonso Parigi. In the middle is a granite basin from Rome's Baths of Caracalla and an Egyptian obelisk of Ramses II from Heliopolis.
But before the 17th century trasnformation, this spot was, in 1589, the setting for the wedding reception of Ferdinando de' Medici's marriage to Christine of Lorraine.
For the occasion, the Medici commissioned entertainment from Jacopo Peri and Ottavio Rinuccini.
The composers came up with the novel idea of setting a classical story (Dafne) to music and having actors sing the whole thing.
We now consider this the world's first opera. (Later, the duo collaborated on a follow-up hit Erudice,performed here in 1600; it's the first opera whose score has survived.)
The upper, eastern end of the park
A terrace above the amphitheater with three Roman-era statues lead to a path climbing to the Neptune Fountain (1571) by Stoldo Lorenzi.
From here, you can angle back to the left (north) to find the rococo Kaffehaus, used for parties in the age of the Grand Dukes and still offering bar service in summertime.
Return to the Neptune Fountain and head straight up to the top of the park, under the city walls andjust below the hulking Forte di Belvedere batlments off to your left.
The giant Giambologna statue of Abundance started as a portrait of Franceso I's wife, Giovanna of Austria, and was later reworked by Giambologna's student, Pietro Tacca into this allegorical figure. The reason it is so large is that it was originally supposed to perch atop a column on Piazza San Marco; it was placed here in 1636 by Giovanna's daugher, Maria de' Medici (better known as Queen Marie of France, wife of Henry IV and mother and regent to King Louis XIII).
Pause to drink in the city views, then turn right and continue to the very tip-top of the Boboli Gardens.
Hard against the city walls you'll find the Giardino del Cavaliere, the Boboli's prettiest hidden corner. This tiny walled garden of box hedges and spring flowers offers private views over the wooded hills of Florence's outskirts. Also here is the faded pink building called the Casino del Cavaliere, once used for summer balls and today housing the Museo delle Porcellane tablewares collection.
The Viottolone and the Isolotto
Back to the central Neptune Fountain.
Paths lead to the fountain's southwest to the wide, cypress-lined Viotollone, the main drag of the Boboli.
This gravel path leads steeply down west toward the park's Porta Romana gate, passing dozens of statues in niches (some ancient Roman; others baroque era) and lots of tiny paths curling out from both sides, many of them tunnels under arbors of trained ilex trees (holm oaks).
It's a nice area to get lost for a while; in fact, these side paths did once comprise a trip of lanyrintths, but these were destroyed when the curving paths were added in the 1830s.
The Viottolone leads, eventually, to the pond around the Isolotto, a rose-garden island created by the Parigi in 1612 and dominated by the Fountain of Oceanus carved by Gimabologna for Francesco I de' Medici 1578 (this is a replica; the original is now in the Bargello for safekeeping).
An English-style garden called the Hemicycle extends form here toeard the park's western gate.
The grottos
At the northeast end of the park, down around the end of the Pitti Palace, are several fake caverns filled with statuary, attempting to invoke some vaguely classical sacred grotto.
The most famous, the Grotta Grande or Grotta di Buontalenti, was started by Giorgio Vasari in 1557, but finished by Bernardo Buontalenti between 1583 and 1593, dripping with phony stalactites (back in ducal times, it dripped with water, too, from hundreds of tiny jest and tubes) and set with statues by Baccio Bandinelli and frescoes by Bernardino Poccetti.
Cosimo I had Michelangelo's four unfinished Slave statues placed in each of the grotto's corners; they have long since been replaced by repilcas (the originals are safe in the Accademia.)
In the second chamber of the Grotto is a Paris and Helen marble grouping by Vincenzo de' Rossi.
In the third, tiny chamber of the grotto behind that are mosaic wall foutains and a central fountain with Giambologna's Mannerist Venus supported by satyrs.
Near the exit to the park is a Florentine postcard favorite, the Fontana di Bacco (Bacchus Fountain; 1560), a pudgy dwarf sitting atop a tortoise by Valerio Cioli. It's actually a portrait of Pietro Barbino, Cosimo I's potbellied dwarf court jester.
Tips
Get into Palazzo Pitti for free (and skip the line at the ticket booth) with:
- Firenzecard: Free; Skip the line
Budget at least two hours for a cursory visit of just the Galleria Palatina and Appartamenti Reali.
If you plan to venture into the Boboli Gardens, give it another hour.
If you have only passing interest in the other museums, each will take about 20 minutes.
Note that the last entry for every museum or part of the Pitti complex is 45 minutes before closing.
The Boboli Gardens close one hour early.
Useful Italian for sightseeing
English (inglese) | Italian (italiano) | Pro-nun-cee-YAY-shun |
Where is?... | Dov'é | doh-VAY |
...the museum | il museo | eel moo-ZAY-yo |
...the church | la chiesa | lah key-YAY-zah |
...the cathedral | il duomo [or] la cattedrale | eel DUO-mo [or] lah cah-the-DRAH-leh |
When is it open? | Quando é aperto? | KWAN-doh ay ah-PAIR-toh |
When does it close? | Quando si chiude? | KWAN-doh see key-YOU-day |
Closed day | giorno di riposo | JOR-no dee ree-PO-zo |
Weekdays (Mon-Sat) | feriali | fair-ee-YA-lee |
Sunday & holidays | festivi | fe-STEE-vee |
ticket | biglietto | beel-YET-toh |
two adults | due adulti | DOO-way ah-DOOL-tee |
one child | un bambino | oon bahm-BEE-no |
one student | uno studente | OO-noh stu-DENT-ay |
one senior | un pensionato | oon pen-see-yo-NAH-toh |
Basic phrases in Italian
English (inglese) | Italian (italiano) | pro-nun-see-YAY-shun |
thank you | grazie | GRAT-tzee-yay |
please | per favore | pair fa-VOHR-ray |
yes | si | see |
no | no | no |
Do you speak English? | Parla Inglese? | PAR-la een-GLAY-zay |
I don't understand | Non capisco | non ka-PEESK-koh |
I'm sorry | Mi dispiace | mee dees-pee-YAT-chay |
How much is it? | Quanto costa? | KWAN-toh COST-ah |
That's too much | É troppo | ay TROH-po |
Good day | Buon giorno | bwohn JOUR-noh |
Good evening | Buona sera | BWOH-nah SAIR-rah |
Good night | Buona notte | BWOH-nah NOTE-tay |
Goodbye | Arrivederci | ah-ree-vah-DAIR-chee |
Excuse me (to get attention) | Scusi | SKOO-zee |
Excuse me (to get past someone) | Permesso | pair-MEH-so |
Where is? | Dov'é | doh-VAY |
...the bathroom | il bagno | eel BHAN-yoh |
...train station | la ferroviaria | lah fair-o-vee-YAR-ree-yah |
to the right | à destra | ah DEH-strah |
to the left | à sinistra | ah see-NEEST-trah |
straight ahead | avanti [or] diritto | ah-VAHN-tee [or] dee-REE-toh |
information | informazione | in-for-ma-tzee-OH-nay |
Days, months, and other calendar items in Italian
English (inglese) | Italian (italiano) | Pro-nun-cee-YAY-shun |
When is it open? | Quando é aperto? | KWAN-doh ay ah-PAIR-toh |
When does it close? | Quando si chiude? | KWAN-doh see key-YOU-day |
At what time... | a che ora | a kay O-rah |
Yesterday | ieri | ee-YAIR-ee |
Today | oggi | OH-jee |
Tomorrow | domani | doh-MAHN-nee |
Day after tomorrow | dopo domani | DOH-poh doh-MAHN-nee |
a day | un giorno | oon je-YOR-no |
Monday | Lunedí | loo-nay-DEE |
Tuesday | Martedí | mar-tay-DEE |
Wednesday | Mercoledí | mair-coh-lay-DEE |
Thursday | Giovedí | jo-vay-DEE |
Friday | Venerdí | ven-nair-DEE |
Saturday | Sabato | SAH-baa-toh |
Sunday | Domenica | doh-MEN-nee-ka |
Mon-Sat | Feriali | fair-ee-YAHL-ee |
Sun & holidays | Festivi | feh-STEE-vee |
Daily | Giornaliere | joor-nahl-ee-YAIR-eh |
a month | una mese | oon-ah MAY-zay |
January | gennaio | jen-NAI-yo |
February | febbraio | feh-BRI-yo |
March | marzo | MAR-tzoh |
April | aprile | ah-PREEL-ay |
May | maggio | MAH-jee-oh |
June | giugno | JEW-nyoh |
July | luglio | LOO-lyoh |
August | agosto | ah-GO-sto |
September | settembre | set-TEM-bray |
October | ottobre | oh-TOE-bray |
November | novembre | no-VEM-bray |
December | dicembre | de-CHEM-bray |
Numbers in Italian
English (inglese) | Italian (italiano) | Pro-nun-cee-YAY-shun |
1 | uno | OO-no |
2 | due | DOO-way |
3 | tre | tray |
4 | quattro | KWAH-troh |
5 | cinque | CHEEN-kway |
6 | sei | say |
7 | sette | SET-tay |
8 | otto | OH-toh |
9 | nove | NO-vay |
10 | dieci | dee-YAY-chee |
11 | undici | OON-dee-chee |
12 | dodici | DOH-dee-chee |
13 | tredici | TRAY-dee-chee |
14 | quattordici | kwa-TOR-dee-chee |
15 | quindici | KWEEN-dee-chee |
16 | sedici | SAY-dee-chee |
17 | diciasette | dee-chee-ya-SET-tay |
18 | diciotto | dee-CHO-toh |
19 | diciannove | dee-chee-ya-NO-vay |
20 | venti | VENT-tee |
21* | vent'uno* | vent-OO-no |
22* | venti due* | VENT-tee DOO-way |
23* | venti tre* | VENT-tee TRAY |
30 | trenta | TRAYN-tah |
40 | quaranta | kwa-RAHN-tah |
50 | cinquanta | cheen-KWAN-tah |
60 | sessanta | say-SAHN-tah |
70 | settanta | seh-TAHN-tah |
80 | ottanta | oh-TAHN-tah |
90 | novanta | no-VAHN-tah |
100 | cento | CHEN-toh |
1,000 | mille | MEEL-lay |
5,000 | cinque milla | CHEEN-kway MEEL-lah |
10,000 | dieci milla | dee-YAY-chee MEEL-lah |
* You can use this formula for all Italian ten-place numbers—so 31 is trent'uno, 32 is trenta due, 33 is trenta tre, etc. Note that—like uno (one), otto (eight) also starts with a vowel—all "-8" numbers are also abbreviated (vent'otto, trent'otto, etc.).