Design and construction of the Boboli Gardens behind the Palazzo Pitti began in 1549 under Cosimo I de Medici. The architectural quality of the buildings, collection of sculpture, and spectacular views of Florence have made the site a popular destination over the centuries. (...)
Design and construction of the Boboli Gardens behind the Palazzo Pitti began in 1549 under Cosimo I de Medici. The architectural quality of the buildings, collection of sculpture, and spectacular views of Florence have made the site a popular destination over the centuries. The Limonaia, a greenhouse for citrus plants, encloses the gardens on the north and south with two beautiful neoclassical wings. Built between 1777 and 1778 for Piertro Leopoldo di Lorena, it houses one of Europe’s most important collections of rare and exotic citrus plants. The glazed façade of the northern wing functions as a greenhouse, and a reproduction of this surface in trompe-l’oeil can be found over the blind wall of the opposite façade. Progressive decay of the structure was hastened by poor maintenance as the original customized interior systems of ventilation, heating, and humidification fell into disrepair. In addition, the original stucco façade, never conserved, had also become fragile.
