Magnificent 1492. Medici art collection at Palazzo PItti
Exhibitions
A major exhibition on Lorenzo the Magnificent’s art collection at Palazzo Pitti, from December 3 to March 1, 2027.
Held at the the "Tesoro dei Granduchi" of Palazzo Pitti ("Grand Ducal Treasury", one of the many museums within Palace), the exhibition features a selection of over 100 works that bring to life the collecting tastes of Lorenzo the Magnificent, the most famous member of the Medici dynasty. The precious collection gathered at Palazzo Medici on Via Larga (now Palazzo Medici Riccardi), which served as the Medici family’s first residence in the city, is brought back to life, thanks to a meticulous reconstruction documented by the 1492 inventory compiled upon Lorenzo the Magnificent’s death.
The nature of Medici collecting during Lorenzo’s time will be explored from both a historical-artistic and a philosophical-theological perspective, through a wide selection of paintings and sculptures, as well as coins, cameos, gems, and illuminated manuscripts. For this occasion, visitors will be able to admire, in a single setting as they were originally displayed, the three panels depicting Paolo Uccello’s famous *Battle of San Romano* (now divided among the Uffizi, the Louvre, and the National Gallery in London). Other masterpieces on display include Donatello’s *Spiritello* (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York) and the precious illuminated manuscript featuring Francesco Petrarca’s *Trionfi* (National Library of Paris), jealously guarded by Lorenzo the Magnificent. The loaned works come from numerous Italian and international museums.
Lorenzo the Magnificent (Lorenzo di Piero de’ Medici, 1449–1492) is known throughout the world as the most illustrious member of the Medici dynasty, above all as a great man of culture, a skilful politician, a discerning collector and a patron of the arts. In this latter capacity, by surrounding himself with great artists including Botticelli and Michelangelo, he helped to establish Florence as the capital of the Italian Renaissance.
