The Palazzo Pitti (Italian pronunciation: [paˈlattso ˈpitti]), in English sometimes called the Pitti Palace, is a vast mainly Renaissance palace in Florence, Italy. It is situated on the south side of the River Arno, a short distance from the Ponte Vecchio. The original structure consisted only the middle cube of the present building as shown on the top floor with 7 windows and was built in 1457 for an ambitious Florentine banker, Luca Pitti's residence.
The palace was bought by the Medici family in 1549 and became the chief residence of the ruling families of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. The palace enlarged and altered as later generations amassed paintings, plates, jewelry and luxurious possessions.
In the late 18th century, the palazzo was used as a power base by Napoleon, and later served for a brief period as the principal royal palace of the newly united Italy. The palace and its contents were donated to the Italian people by King Victor Emmanuel III in 1919, and its doors were opened to the public as one of Florence's largest art galleries. Today, it houses several minor collections in addition to those of the Medici family, and is fully open to the public.
Behind the palace, the land on the Boboli hill was acquired in order to create a large formal park and gardens, which is now known as the famous Boboli Gardens. It is a garden highly recommended by the walking tour guide. A pity I did not visit because entrance ticket would include the museums and the day where I had planned to visit, most museums were close thus I figured it may not be a good deal to pay for the entrance tickets.
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