THE ROnOLl GARDEXS, FLORENCE. 



273 



parted with it he pined for it, and so great was his love and longing that he could not eat, 

 sleep or banish the idea of it from his mind. He was always talking of it, and his refrain 

 was, " You will see, after death I will come to it again." Soon after his death it began to be 

 said that the figure of an old man was often seen on moonlight nights, working in the 

 garden. We are 

 assured that to 

 this day it is often 

 In-held, and that 

 the tap of its spade- 

 can be heard. 

 E. M. P. 



The Pitti Pal- 

 ace was begun in 

 1435 by Luca Pitti 

 in rivalry with the 

 Medici family. 

 Filippo Brunelles- 

 chi was the archi- 

 tect. Luca Fan- 

 celli, architect of 

 Florence, was em- 

 ployed by him in 

 the actual execu- 

 tion of the work. 

 The palace was sold 

 in an unfinished 

 state to Eleonora of 

 Toledo, wife of 

 C o s i m o I , who 

 bought more land 

 and laid out the 

 garden. This Bo- 

 boli garden was be- 

 gun at the end of 

 May, 1550, to the 

 designs of Nicolo 

 Braccini (II Tri- 

 bolo), architect and 

 sculptor, and con- 

 tinued by Bernardo 

 Buontalenti. The 

 palace was finished 

 to the designs of 

 Ammanati. Sub- 

 sequently the works 



were completed by the Grand Dukes of Tuscany. The Grand Court at the back, with its 

 grotto, is particularly due to Ammanati. The two wings extending the main fa?ade were 

 built by Alfonso and Giulio Parigi. The interior salons used as picture galleries are more 

 remarkable for gorgeousness than refinement of decoration. The gardens are apt to be hot 

 and dusty under the modern conditions of a public park. The fountain in the Isola Bella was 

 designed by Giorgio Vasari, the statues being by Giovanni da Bologna. Ocean is represented 

 at the top, with the Nile, Ganges and Euphrates below. A. T. B. 



285. THE GATES OF ISOLOTTO, BOBOLI GARDENS, FLORENCE. 



