THE BOBOLI GARDENS, 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 
beheld, 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 w'ith the 
Medici family. 
Filippo Brunelles- 
chi was the archi- 
tect. Luca Fan- 
celh, 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 w'as be- 
gun at the end of 
Mav, 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 ivorks 
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 faqade were 
built bv 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 bv 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. 
