Pitti Palace & Boboli Gardens Tickets Florence

Pitti Palace: from Florentine banker to Medici and royal residence

Pitti Palace was begun in 1458 for the banker Luca Pitti, who wanted a residence larger than any of the Medici's. Ironically, the Medici bought it in 1549, when Eleonora di Toledo, wife of Cosimo I, made it the family's main residence. Later it served the House of Savoy when Florence was briefly the capital of Italy.

If you are searching for Pitti Palace tickets or how to get to Pitti Palace in Florence, the palace stands on Piazza de' Pitti in the Oltrarno district, about a ten-minute walk from the Ponte Vecchio across the river. The combined ticket covers the main museums in the palace and the Boboli Gardens behind it.

The Palatine Gallery and the palace museums

The Palatine Gallery is the palace's main picture gallery. Its paintings are hung close together, floor to ceiling, in rooms with ceilings decorated by Pietro da Cortona, just as the Medici displayed them. Highlights include Raphael's Madonna of the Chair and works by Titian, Rubens and Caravaggio.

The ticket also covers the Royal Apartments, the Gallery of Modern Art, the Museum of Costume and Fashion, the Treasury of the Grand Dukes and the Museum of Russian Icons. The eBooks and audio app help you choose, as the palace is large, and you cannot see everything in one visit. Choose two or three areas and enjoy them without hurrying.

The Boboli Gardens: grottoes, fountains and views

The Boboli Gardens, laid out from the sixteenth century behind the palace, climb a hill and are among the most important Italian gardens. An amphitheatre carved into the slope holds an ancient Egyptian obelisk, and the Buontalenti Grotto, with its shell-encrusted walls, is a Renaissance fantasy.

Paths lined with cypresses lead to fountains, statues and the Isolotto, an island pond with sculpture at its centre. From the top terraces you look across the tiled roofs of Florence and the dome of the cathedral. The gardens are especially pleasant in spring and early autumn, and you can spend a couple of hours or half a day here.

Planning your visit: tickets, timing and tips

Is Pitti Palace worth visiting? Yes, if you want to see how Florence's rulers lived, view fine paintings without the crowds of the Uffizi, and enjoy a garden walk. Allow three to four hours for the Palatine Gallery and the gardens together. Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens opening hours change by season, and the museums are usually closed on Mondays.

There is no meeting point: your tickets, the audio app instructions and any other details are sent digitally before your visit, and you go to the palace with your ticket. Wear comfortable shoes, especially for the gardens, which are hilly. Bring water in summer, and check the closing time of the gardens, which changes through the year.