Hall of Maps Final Report

H A L L O F G E O G R A P H I C M A P S A P L A C E O F E X C E L L E N C E I N T H E U F F I Z I G A L L E R Y Originally, at the time of Vasari, this The Grand Duke wanted important historical space next to the room of Hugo scientific and mathematical instruments for van Der Goes that leads to it, was a covered astronomical and geographical knowledge to loggia of the Gallery overlooking the east be gathered in this place, with a celestial side of the Florence, with the majestic and a terrestrial globe. church of Santa Croce at its center. From the 1600s, the scientific instruments that belonged to Galileo Galilei were In 1589 Grand Duke Ferdinando I de’ exhibited here as well, such as the Medici (1549 – 1609) decided to dedicate a telescopes, the geometric compass, the space to geography and cosmography in astrolabe, the globes, now exhibited at the homage to his father, Cosimo I, and to the Galileo Museum. Medici family's power. Closing the gallery's terrace with glass, it was possible to devote the room to the exhibition of scientific instruments of the Medici's collection. The room has a rectangular floor plan with a Both the West and North Walls are single entrance on the west side facing two decorated with large geographic maps, large windows. whereas on the South Wall a smaller map of On the walls, Ludovico Buti painted the the Island of Elba was added later; it was maps of Tuscany with the Florentine and originally set between two further windows, Sienese territories and the Island of Elba, which were walled up, when the adjacent based upon drawings made for this purpose gallery was built in place of the small in 1584 by the geographer and cartographer staircase, which used to connect the Stefano Bonsignori . Gallery's upper floor to the Magliabechiana Library. T H E S E A R E A M O N G T H E F I R S T F R E S C O E S W I T H G E O G R A P H I C M A P S E V E R M A D E – T H O S E I N T H E V A T I C A N A R E A L M O S T C O N T E M P O R A R Y T O T H E U F F I Z I ' S H A L L O F G E O G R A P H I C M A P S . T H E S E A R E " O F F I C I A L M A P S " T H A T H I G H L I G H T T H E E X T E N T A N D S T R U C T U R E O F T U S C A N Y . STATE OF FLORENCE STATE OF SIENA VARIOUS EXCLAVES called "old" called "new" including Elba with the Gulf (including the ancient Pisan (annexed in 1559, minus the of Portoferraio (Cosmopolis) dominion) State of the Presidi erected by Spain around Orbetello) The frescoed maps were meant to be resemble tapestries hanging on the walls, with red flaps and gold trimmings on the sides. Many Tuscan places of that time are depicted in a meticulous and precise manner: cities, villages, rivers, hills, mountains, seas. A dense sequence of small golden segments is used to mark the slopes and trees; the names of the villages are written with beautiful letters in black, while the names of the rivers in red; larger golden letters are used for the names of waters and states. H E N C E A P R E C I O U S H I S T O R I C A L M E M O R Y , A S W E L L A S A N A R T I S T I C O N E . A base ornates the bottom of all walls, divided into rectangular fields by a painted frame; the fields are decorated with fake stone motifs, cupids, animals and masks alternated with plant racemes; the background is animated by fake square tiles. Some golden highlights ornate the frieze, except for the southern side. Ludovico Buti also re-adapted allegorical The result is a ceiling accommodating nine paintings by Jacopo Zucchi to the coffers of panels divided by decorated wooden beams the ceiling. They had been made in Rome, at the intersection of the canvas frames, when Ferdinando I was a Cardinal there, for where the allegories of Night, Loyalty, the ceiling of his bedroom at Villa Medici. Obedience, Silence and Vigilance appear, They depict mythological and allegorical together with the figures of Pan, Mercury, subjects connected with Diana and Mercury, Diana and the Nymphs and Diana and Sleep and Night, according to their original Endymion. Zucchi based these figures on the function to decorate Ferdinando's bedroom. descriptions by humanists Annibal Caro and Vincenzo Cartari. D E G R A D A T I O N RISE OF THE GILDING RISE PICTORIAL FILM EXFOLIATION EFFLORESCENCE CRAQUELEURE FRAGMENTATION OF THE ON THE PICTORIAL FILM PICTORIAL FILM STUCCOS AND REPAINTINGS BUILDING SITE AND RAIN DEMAGES DEMAGES SURFACE SEDIMENT ALTERATED REPAINTINGS T E C H N O L O G Y I N T H E S E R V I C E O F A R T The room has unfortunately been closed for In addition to installing air conditioning and many years because of restoration needs, monitoring systems, new lighting will make which will involve both the fresco walls and every painted detail come alive. Finally, the ceiling canvases. thanks to the installation of a large window In addition to conservation, top-notch of the latest technology, visitors will have technologies will be employed in order to the feeling to be in a free loggia without any preserve these masterworks for future glass at all, and will be enjoying the generations, and to render them visible in a stunning view of Florence, which completes way they have never been experienced the message of the frescoed maps, in showing before. the territory under Medici rule. V I S I T O R S W I L L B E A S T O N I S H E D B Y T H E M A G N I F I C E N T V I E W O F T H E L O G G I A F R O M W H I C H T H E S I G H T O P E N S O N T H E E A S T E R N P A R T O F T H E C I T Y A L L O W I N G T H E V I E W O F S A N T A C R O C E , T H E T O W E R O F S A N N I C C O L Ò , T H E H I L L O F S A N M I N I A T O A N D E V E N F A R T O T H E M O U N T A I N S O F T H E A R N O V A L L E Y O N T H E H O R I Z O N . .

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