64. Florence Part 3. Travel to Florence and visit the Pitti Palace, Boboli Gardens, Pietre Dure Museum and the learn about the infamous game of Calcio Storico in Florence, Tuscany, Italy.
This is our third and final podcast about the beautiful city of Florence and we might have just saved the best until last.
But first, Just to answer a question I have received many times about our arrival in Florence in episode 62 – no I still don’t know why the guy said he was a sniper and what he was actually trying to say – if you don’t know what I’m talking about – then go back and listen to the beginning of Episode 62 and you will understand – still one of the funniest things that happened to us in Florence.
Lyle waiting outside our accommodation for the sniper
Ok, back to episode 64 where we are taking you to my favourite palace in Florence – the Pitti Place (I know, the name doesn’t do it justice) as well as the beautiful Boboli Gardens which are a green oasis in the middle of the city. Our guide Carmella showed us the most amazing galleries and living quarters of the palace.
There was a quirky artwork including butterflies and dwarfs plus the most paintings of Raphael any where in the world. In fact all the Ninja turtles are represented at the Palace.
We learnt so much about the art and artists (obviously as I am still calling them ninja turtles) and the beauty in this palace was stunning.
Come with us as we walk around the 11 acres of the Boboli gardens. Some of the best views of the city are from the top of the gardens. We are quite intrigued by some of the grottos which look like lumps of plaster thrown against cave walls, but then you realise they are actually animals. Weird but fascinating.
Next we go to a museum and unusual type of art gallery that only the locals seem to know about. And it was incredible. It involves rare semi precious stones and it is a technique that is only practiced in Florence.
Stay listening to the end to hear about the sport – if you can call it that – called Calcio Storico. We tell you about this game which is a combination of rugby, martial arts, boxing, wrestling, and American football, just to name a few.
It basically seems like a big brawl on the sand field involving 27 players on each side trying to score the most points. It actually dates back centuries and even some Popes played it in the Vatican city.
It’s a game unique to Florence and it’s only played once a year in the annual tournament in June and involves 4 teams from the four classic neighbourhoods and the locals love it.
show notes and pictures below
The Pitti Palace
This stunning palace was once the home of the Medici family. They bought it in 1549. It has 28 rooms and is divided into five museums.
The core of the current palace dates back to 1458 and was originally the town residence of Luca Pitti, a Florentine banker. The Palace and its contents were donated to the Italian people by King Victor Emmanuel III in 1919.
We did a tour of the Palace and the gardens. We would certainly recommend the tour as we learnt so much about the palace, the inhabitants and the artworks that are in every room. The tour we did was called Pitti Palace Boboli Garden & Palatina Gallery Guided Tour 2023 - Florence (viator.com)
Some of the highlights were the Treasury of Russian icons, the Palantine Chapel, the Palantine Gallery and the Imperial Apartments. One of my favourites was The White Hall which is used as a ballroom and is the largest room in the palace. It has eleven spectacular chandeliers. Now, it is used for fashion parades.
There is an amazing collection of art all through the palace, from sculptures and furniture decorated with semi-precious stones to pieces by the masters like Caravaggio and Raphael. In fact, the Pitti Palace houses more paintings by Raphael than anywhere else in the world.
We talk about some of the famous pieces above in our podcast - including the story of how the two paintings of Nano Morgante, naked and hunting won a massive debate in the art world.
Boboli Gardens
Construction on the gardens started in 1550 and were completed in 1766. They cover an area of approximately 45,000 square metres.
The gardens are arranged geometrically with a symmetrical regular positioning of trees and flower beds.
In the gardens you will find some amazing features - like the Egyptian obelisk that came all the way from Luxor and the huge granite bath - Baths of Caracalla from Rome. It is one piece of marble - so just incredible how they actually placed it where it is in the Boboli Gardens.
The views from the top of the gardens are some of the best in Florence. On one side you can see the rolling Tuscan hills and on the other the panoramic view of the city, including the Duomo. As well as the beautiful gardens, you will find some free standing sculptures like Tindaro Screpolato - a huge bronze statue of a head, face, eyes and mouth which appear to be shattered and put back together.
There are several grottos dotted around the gardens. This is the Grotto of The Madama 1553-1555. It is a natural environment populated by mysterious stone beings and animals. This grotto is just at the exit of the gardens. When you first look into the grotto it looks a bit confusing, but the longer you look, you start to see animal shapes, trees and people. Very interesting.
Museo Del Opificio Delle Pietre Dure
While we were exploring the Pitti Palace we came across beautifully decorated furniture that we were told was covered in semi precious stone. We couldn’t believe it. Our guide, Carmella, told us about a working museum right in the heart of Florence, that hardly anyone visited, where they showcase this art and you can see how it is actually made.
The pieces above are all made of semi- precious stones. They are handpicked and cut and then put together to make a picture. There is no painting involved. It is an ancient art that is only done in Florence. It is fascinating to see and the museum is definitely worth visiting.
Joshua Tree Pub
One of our favourite places to have a drink was a little bar called the Joshu Tree Pub. It is a small bar, with lots of different beer to choose from. The staff are so friendly and we found ourselves going back each evening before heading out for dinner. You can see their website here The Joshua Tree Pub in Florence – Official Website
Calico Storico - Italy’s most dangerous sport
So you’ve read about the stunning palace and beautiful gardens. Now it’s time to tell you about this crazy game that the locals are so passionate about. It is called Calico Storico and has been played since the middle ages. Today it attracts 1000’s of locals to the annual tournament held in June.
The parades fill the streets with bands, players and supporters all chanting their team’s slogan. There are four teams from the main neighborhoods of Florence. The game is a played on a sand pitch and there are 27 players on each team with one objective - get the ball in the goal by ANY means necessary. It is a combination of boxing, wrestling, American football, martial arts and street brawling. You have seen nothing like it - trust me it is crazy.
We loved our time exploring and eating our way around Florence.
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