The Sala Delle Nicchie

An exceptional Pitti collection
 

by Gwen Herat at Pitti Palace

Galleria Palatina is Italy's major art museum sited in the second floor of Pitti Palace. I would never know how to start or end writing this spectacular visuals of the past centuries that impacted the art of the Masters to stun the world in the following centuries.

The courtyard built between 1558-1570 is an impressive three storeyed structure, arcading on to the ground floor. It was Lucca Pitti whose economical and political power reached the apex just like other Florentine merchants and desired to turn his wealth to a monument to preserve Italy's magnificent art so that generation after generation, century after century they will awe nations.

An appropriate site was picked and the magnificent Pitti Palace was built. In it is housed the Galleria Palatina and other Pitti collection, to date.

The Galleria and the Ex-Reali Apartments contain 49 salas, each identified by a name and within the folds of each sala, is a magnificent collection of art and sculptor. To begin with, today, I have focused on the Sala Della. My flight to reach the second floor in order to come face to face, was indeed a dream from which I took time to wake up.

Wall panelled in the most exquisite Roman architecture that reached the roof from floor level, was unbelievable. Crystal chandeliers lowered at different levels to overlap light and cast mystery, put shame on modern crystal lighting systems. Paintings by the masters from fifteenth and sixteenth centuries were displayed side by side with sculptured figures from history.

All paintings were in ornate gold frames in carefully designed patterns. The Royal furniture befitting the royalty of the day, displayed and exhibited so as not to clash with the paintings, was a very sensible idea. The red and ivory dining suite, had 24 chairs and the rest of the furniture echoed the same theme. There were also Chinese vases, probably centuries old, stood upon carved side tables.

Sala Delle Nicchie also fondly called, Niche Room, was the first in a suite that served as living area for the Medici grand-dukes. They ranged from the Lorraine grand-dukes to the Savoy Royal family. In fact, King Vittorio Emmanuel 11 of Savoy lived in the apartments from 1865 to 1871 when Florence was the capital of the Kingdon of Italy which is why they are called Ex-Real Apartments.

In spite of their appearance of spectacular and elaborate decorative schemes, the rooms do not give the impression of being museum halls. This is because the Sala Delli Nicchie has been maintained in its original conception.

Its neo-classical theme is sumptuous but may appear a little bit cold to those who know its history but in truth one gets feeling that real flesh and blood people have dominated it.

The fantastic Sala Delle Nicchie's dining room was decorated at the end of the 18th century in an elegant neo-classical style featuring replicas of Roman works. It also boasts of Japanese vases.

Among the displays are a portrait of a King of Malta, an excellent painting by Caravaggio. There are also four superb 18th century Gobelins tapestries with Scenes from the Life of Esther.

The works are displayed in splendid halls and among them, Sala Delle Nicchie is one of the best. Large part is devoted to the 16th and 17th century Italian masters, foremost among them Raphael, Andrea Del Sarto who were the Florentine Mannerists.

All 49 Salas in the second floor is a treasure trove of Masters who are immortal in the world of art and are inspirational to all modern artists who visit these salas over and over again.

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