Palazzo Vecchio, on the occasion of the 450th anniversary of the death of Cosimo I de' Medici and Giorgio Vasari, hosts the exhibition La Sala Grande. Giorgio Vasari for Cosimo I de' Medici: an opportunity to delve into the history of the creative process behind the decoration of the Sala Grande and into the renovation programme promoted by Cosimo I, who commissioned the work, and carried out by Giorgio Vasari, its main architect.
The Sala Grande, better known as the Salone dei Cinquecento, was renovated in the 1660s to celebrate the marriage of Prince Francesco, the Duke's eldest son, to Joanna of Hapsburg in December 1565. It is also a testimony to the power of the Medici, exalting the role and deeds of Cosimo I , and to the skills of Giorgio Vasari, an eclectic artist and architect who was able to coordinate and carry out a highly complex project in a very short time.
The project coordinated by Vasari was carried out between 1563 and 1565 (with the exception of the frescoes) with the assistance of the masters of the Medici workshops, where Giovanni Stradano, Giovanni Battista Naldini and Jacopo Zucchi worked as painters. Starting in 1563, the walls were raised by about 7 metres and the coffered ceiling was covered with a rich series of paintings depicting episodes from the history of Florence and its victories over Pisa and Siena, flanked by allegories of the districts and towns of Tuscany.
The exhibition is completed by a documentary section: in addition to the drawings illustrating the decorative project by Giorgio Vasari, assisted by Vincenzo Borghini, there are preparatory sketches for some famous ceiling and wall scenes, such as the drawings of the Presa di Porta Camollia and the Battle of Marciano, as well as letters and correspondence, including the opinion of Michelangelo Buonarroti and a newspaper of the Medici workshops, whose files are kept in the State Archives and can be seen in the display case.
The execution of this masterpiece, famous throughout Italy and the courts of Europe, is retraced in this exhibition, giving the public the opportunity to compare the drawings on display with the paintings in the same room, all supported by the video production of Art Media Studio, and a work of artistic craftsmanship paying homage to the figure of Giorgio Vasari, executed by the master goldsmith Paolo Penko.
The exhibition is promoted by the Florence World Heritage and UNESCO Relations Office of the City of Florence and the MUS.E Foundation, with financial support from the Ministry of Tourism "UNESCO Sites and Creative Cities Fund".
