Palazzo Medici Riccardi

This book provides an insight into the history and beauty of Palazzo Medici Riccardi, one of the most important palaces in Florence. Through its pages it is possible to delve into the events that led to the birth of the building commissioned by Cosimo de’ Medici and designed by Michelozzo. The text is therefore a fascinating journey through settings, characters and historical periods, offering useful elements for understanding the history of a palace that is still a legend and for appreciating its famous masterpieces. These include the marvellous Chapel of the Magi, skilfully frescoed by Benozzo and the Galleria degli Specchi from the Riccardi period, with a vault painted by Luca Giordano. The book accompanies the reader in the discovery of all the marvels of the palace, beginning with the façade and the exterior elevations, continuing with the refined courtyard, the garden, the archaeological itinerary in the basement. Then climbing the monumental staircase to reach the ＂piano nobile＂ with the Chapel of the Magi, the Charles VIII Room and the other rooms up to the splendid Hall of Bas-reliefs and the Riccardi Gallery.

Valentina Zucchi is an art historian and in Florence she works for MUS.E, the city’s company that manages the Musei Civici Fiorentini. She is director of the Museo delle Terre Nuove in San Giovanni Valdarno (Arezzo).