Grand Tour

The capital of the grand duchy attracted attention but not much enthusiasm before the 18th century. If for Deseine, in 1699, Florence was «the most beautiful city in Italy», it was not until well into the next century that its popularity soared and its central role, which it has preserved right down to the present day, was truly established.

The principal attraction was without question the Galleria degli Uffizi, to whose princely collections people were drawn chiefly by the ancient statuary and by the astonishing examples of the working of semiprecious stone: above all the octagonal table in the Sala della Tribuna, which was also the heart of the collection containing the most renowned paintings and sculptures. Another part of the Uffizi that could not be missed was the Corridoio Vasariano with its self-portraits of the most eminent painters. The quantity of masterpieces on display in the gallery produced two contrasting reactions in travelers, ellipsis or a meticulous cataloguing (remarkable the list drawn up by Gibbon in 1764) that was often marred by erroneous attributions. While the descriptions and preferences fell into line with the taste of the times, there were a number of abiding favorites, like the Medici Venus placed at the center of the Tribuna.

The second hub of the visit to Florence was Palazzo Pitti. Travelers were struck by its external appearance, so massive that it tended to remind them of a fortress. In the eyes of many French visitors, for instance, it lacked the characteristic grace and lightness of architecture on the other side of the Alps. Its inner courtyard, on the other hand, always won great approval, and the garden behind even more so, becoming the part of the tour of the city that was most looked forward to. When it came to comparisons, which always have a big part to play in travel writing, Boboli was considered on a par with Luxembourg Park (de Brosses, 1740), and people lingered over the description of its paths, plants and plays of water. Another feature that was constantly subjected to comparison was the Arno: it almost always reminded visitors of the Seine, and not just in Florence but in Pisa too. Its bridges were admired by all, with the sole exception of the “dissident” Marquis de Sade (1776), who thought that the Ponte Vecchio spoiled the view! Interest in the river, however, was surpassed by people’s fascination with the gardens which, alongside Boboli, included the parks of the many stately homes in the surrounding countryside. Typical was the wonder aroused by the colossal statue of the Apennines in the park at Pratolino.

The churches were another attraction, above all San Lorenzo, where one went to see the chapel of the Princes, both to admire and to criticize it (as Montesquieu did in 1728). It was followed, or preceded, by the cathedral and baptistery (for Ghiberti’s doors) and, frequently, the Santissima Annunziata. Of this church people liked to recount the legend which held that the face of the Virgin had been finished by miracle, while the painter who had tried to portray it lay sleeping in exhaustion. In contrast with the habit of many travelers to compile endless lists, the attitude taken by Rogissart (1701): «we will never reach the end if we set out to visit all the churches in this city. There are so many that we could as easily call Florence the Religious as we call her Florence the Beautiful».

The admiration for Michelangelo meant that Casa Buonarroti was always included in the visit, as it provided an opportunity to see the works of the man who was considered, in this case by everyone, the greatest Florentine artist of all time.

Outside of these canonical sights, and the great slabs of stone with which the city is paved, unfailingly described with great admiration, other observations on places, personages and customs were the personal mark of each traveler, guided by his own tastes. While Montfaucon (1699) shut himself up in the Biblioteca Laurenziana and established close relations with Antonio Magliabechi, in 1789 the economist Arthur Young met the members of the Accademia dei Georgofili (Ottaviano Targioni Tozzetti and other prominent figures in the scientific and cultural life of Tuscany).

Many of these personal tastes were reflected in the interest in social life, especially the flamboyant one of performances and processions. The theaters, particularly those of the Pergola and Cocomero, were well attended. Foreigners were often struck by the chaos that reigned in the boxes during the performance. De Sade’s horrified reaction (1776) to the use of castrati is famous.

The way that the good climate made social life possible “in the open air” was much appreciated by the British. Thus Lady Blessington (1826) recalled the Cascine as one of the most charming walks, a place where ladies liked to go in elegant carriages to hold exciting soirèes..

The majority of visitors judged the population of the city to be frugal in character, but they showed great appreciation for the liveliness of its cultural life, something to which the foreigners, moreover, made a considerable contribution: «a thousand receptions are reserved for foreigners and above all for men of letters, for whom they display a singular veneration» (Rogissart, 1700).

The city was regarded as inseparable from its hills, which lent it much of its charm. It is no coincidence that Montaigne (1581), after declaring: «I don’t know why this city is called beautiful par excellence», changed his mind later on the grounds of the panorama visible from the hills, a sight that many travelers found truly enchanting. The combination of the brilliant foliage with the picturesque monuments and the blue Arno winding its way through lush fields and gardens constituted an incomparable spectacle. The countryside, moreover, was the ideal setting for that state of Arcadian happiness so dear to the Romantics, who often spoke of how its charms were enhanced by the singing of peasants.