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~ …… (oon∙poh∙dee∙PEH∙peh) Cristina writes about interesting stuff /Cristina scrive di cose interessanti

Un po' di pepe

Tag Archives: Florence

The Last Medici

18 Tuesday Feb 2020

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Art, Art history, Firenze

≈ 15 Comments

Tags

Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici, Firenze, Florence, Galleria degli Uffizi, Palazzo Pitti

Anna Maria Luisa De' Medici portrait by Jan Van DouvenAnna Maria Luisa de’ Medici, the last descendant of the Medici dynasty died on February 18, 1743.  Her family of bankers had ruled Firenze on and off for over 300 years, and amassed countless art treasures. Fortunately for us, Anna Maria Luisa was a woman ahead of her time.  Knowing her family was on the verge of extinction, she made sure her family’s legacy was protected.Actress playing Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici at Palazzo Pitti

The middle child of Cosimo III de’ Medici and Marguerite d’Orleans, she was born in 1667 and had 2 brothers, Ferdinando and Gian Gastone.  Anna Maria Luisa’s parents could not stand each other.  Her mother returned to France when Anna Maria Luisa was 8 years old and never returned.

In 1691, at the age of 24, Anna Maria Luisa was married by proxy to the widowed Elector Palatine, a prince of Bavaria.  Her marriage, although arranged, was happy and she lived a comfortable life as ‘Electress Palatine’ in Dusseldorf, where she was a patroness of the arts. Anna Maria Luisa and her husband did not have any children.  It was thought until recently that he had given her syphilis.

Ferdinando and Gian Gastone were both in disastrous marriages and neither lived with his wife. Cosimo was worried about them both being without an heir.  He even had his Cardinal brother released from religious life to marry, but 2 years later, he died without children.  When Ferdinando died in 1713, Cosimo changed Tuscan law to allow a female heir, passing Medici rule to Anna Maria Luisa after Gian Gastone. He lobbied the European leaders, but they refused to accept this.

When Anna Maria Luisa’s husband died in 1716, she returned to Firenze, moving into a wing of the Palazzo Pitti.  Cosimo III died in 1723, leaving Gian Gastone to be a terrible Grand Duke of Tuscany until his death in 1737.  Despite the fact that Cosimo wanted the House of Este from Modena take over, it was decided the debt-ridden Lorraine (Lorena) family of the Austrian Hapsburg dynasty would take over the government of Tuscany.  Anna Maria Luisa had no say in the decision.

On Gian Gastone’s death, Anna Maria Luisa inherited all of the Medici personal property.  Knowing the Medici line ended with her, she was determined that her family’s possessions would not be sold off piece by piece to pay off Austrian war debts.  Anna Maria Luisa had to find a solution quickly, before the vultures swooped in!Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici signing the Patto di Famiglia

On October 31, 1737, she signed a legal contract, the Patto di Famiglia (Family Pact) leaving all of the personal property of the Medici, including the Uffizi, Palazzo Pitti and Medici Villas to the city upon her death.  It stipulated that none of the collection could be sold or removed from Firenze.  More specifically, it stated that the Medici collections:

‘esse rimanessero per ornamento dello Stato, per utilità del Pubblico e per attirare la curiosità dei Forestieri’  / were to be left as ornaments of the State, for use of the public and to attract the curiosity of foreigners.

If she only knew! She was unknowingly providing for her city’s future economy.

Anna Maria Luisa spent the rest of her life doing charitable work, cataloguing the inventory of her family collection and overseeing the building of the Cappella dei Principi in San Lorenzo where she was later buried. The Patto di Famiglia became active on her death February 18, 1743. In 2012 her bones were exhumed due to concerns of damage from the 1966 flood.  (Note…I am not sure why this took 46 years??).  She died of a breast tumour and there was no evidence of syphilis.

Originally designed by Giorgio Vasari for Cosimo I in 1560, the Uffizi, former administrative offices (uffici means offices) of the Medici and the Archivo dello Stato was opened to the public 16 years after Anna Maria Luisa’s death.  The Uffizi Gallery now has 16 million visitors every year. Galleria degli Uffizi

In Firenze Anna Maria Luisa is known as ‘La Principessa Saggia’, the wise Princess.  She is also known and recognized for her big hair. The city of Firenze honours her each year on Oct 31st to celebrate the Patto di Famiglia with free admission to the Uffizi and on February 18th the anniversary of her death with free admission to civic museums. There is often an actress playing her at the Palazzo Pitti.  The art loving world is forever indebted to Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici.Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici sculpture Palazzo Pitti

Photos:

Portrait of Elettrice Palatina Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici by Jan Van Douven, Dusseldorf, Wikimedia

Photos of actress playing Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici at Palazzo Pitti from Filistrucchi, the manufacturers of the big-ass parrucca (wig) she is wearing!

Photo of actress playing Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici signing the Patto di Famiglia ilreporter website

Sculpture of Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici by Ivo Barbaresi 1945.  Donated to Palazzo Pitti by Fiorenza Bartolozzi 2011.

Ciao, Cristina

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Viste di Firenze

29 Sunday Nov 2015

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Firenze, Italia, Photography, Travel

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

Firenze, Florence, Piazzale Michelangelo, Ponte Vecchio, San Miniato al Monte, Santa Croce, Santa Maria del Fiore, Torre di Giotto

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

When I travel I seem to be attracted to the view from the tallest thing I can find.  Maybe it’s because I’m ‘vertically challenged’?  It does lead to some spectacular views.  Here is a collection of my favourite scatti (shots) of viste(views) of Firenze .

La Terrazza degli Uffizi

La Terrazza degli Uffizi

Il Duomo di Santa Maria del Fiore from la Torre di Giotto (Giotto's Tower)

Il Duomo di Santa Maria del Fiore from la Torre di Giotto (Giotto’s Tower)

La Torre di Giotto vista dal Duomo

La Torre di Giotto vista dal Duomo

'Santa Maria sotto restauro'

‘Santa Maria sotto restauro’

Vista dalla finestra degli Uffizi/View of the Ponte Vecchio from a window in the Uffizi Gallery

Vista dalla finestra degli Uffizi/View of the Ponte Vecchio from a window in the Uffizi Gallery

Vista di Santa Croce dalla Torre di Giotto

Vista di Santa Croce dalla Torre di Giotto

Firenze vista dal cimitero San Miniato al Monte/Firenze seen from the cemetery, San Miniato al Monte

Firenze vista dal cimitero San Miniato al Monte/Firenze seen from the cemetery, San Miniato al Monte

Vista da Piazzale Michelangelo

Vista da Piazzale Michelangelo

Ciao, Cristina

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