Palazzo Vecchio is a work of art itself, always worth the visit anytime of the year. Even more when there’s a great exhibition to see, which is the case with “Le Più Strane e Belle Invenzioni del Mondo” (The Strangest and Most Beautiful Inventions in the World), by Giovanni Stradano (Jan van der Straet, Bruges 1523-Florence 1605).
The exhibition celebrates the five hundredth anniversary of the birth of the Flemish artist who worked hard for Florence, the city in which he chose to live until the end of his eighty-two years.
Promoted by the Municipality of Florence – World Heritage Office and Relations with UNESCO and MUS.E, with the support of the Ministry of Tourism, the scientific direction and general coordination of Carlo Francini and Valentina Zucchi and the curatorship of Alessandra Baroni, the exhibition counts approximately eighty works including paintings, drawings, prints, books, tapestries and instruments and offers an unprecedented in-depth analysis of Stradano, who was Giorgio Vasari’s main and most versatile collaborator in the decoration of Palazzo Vecchio.
Portraitist, landscape painter and original designer
Palazzo Vecchio and Giovanni Stradano have a very close relationship. The artist was involved for many years in the decoration of the new rooms – including the apartments dedicated to the earthly Gods (the Medici), the rooms of Eleonora di Toledo, the Studiolo of Francesco I – and the large hall, known as the Salone dei Cinquecento, contributing to a rich and complex work with his personal stylistic signature.
Portraitist, landscape painter and above all an original designer, Stradano was also an Academician of Drawing since the foundation of the prestigious institution wanted by Cosimo I de’ Medici in 1563. “Good drawing, very good whims, a lot of invention and good manners to color” was some of the qualities quoted by Giorgio Vasari when referring to Stradano. In fact, Vasari entrusted Stradano many works including the original painting for the Battle of Scannagallo, emblem of Florence’s victory over Siena, and the famous Cacce tapestries, destined for the villa of Poggio a Caiano.
The exhibition “Le Più Strane e Belle Invenzioni del Mondo” can be visited until February 18, 2024, at Palazzo Vecchio. For more information, contact our concierge: info@tornabuoni1.com.