Palazzo Pitti is the largest palace in Florence — the Medici bought it in 1549 and made it their primary residence for 2 centuries, filling it with art that rivals the Uffizi. The Galleria Palatina alone has 500+ paintings including 11 Raphaels (the largest collection of his work in one place), Titians, Caravaggios, and Rubens — hung salon-style (floor to ceiling, gold frames touching) in frescoed rooms that are themselves works of art. Behind the palace: the Giardino di Boboli — 45,000m² of Renaissance garden with grottoes, fountains, and the amphitheatre where the first operas were performed. Florence museums strategy →
Galleria Palatina (€16): 28 frescoed rooms housing the Medici painting collection. Key works: Raphael's Madonna della Seggiola (circular painting, the most reproduced Madonna), Raphael's La Velata (portrait of his lover), Titian's Mary Magdalene, Caravaggio's Sleeping Cupid, Rubens' Consequences of War. The rooms: The frescoes ON the ceilings by Pietro da Cortona (Planetary Rooms) are as spectacular as the paintings on the walls. Royal Apartments: 14 rooms furnished as the Savoy dynasty left them in 1919 — silk walls, crystal chandeliers, the Throne Room. Galleria d'Arte Moderna: Italian 19th-20th century (Macchiaioli movement — the Italian Impressionists). Museo della Moda e del Costume: Fashion from the 16th century to Versace. Tesoro dei Granduchi (Silver Museum): Medici treasures — cameos, ivories, jewels, Lorenzo de' Medici's vases.
Grotta del Buontalenti (Mannerist grotto with fake stalactites + Giambologna sculptures). Amphitheatre (where the first operas were staged, 1590s). Viottolone (cypress-lined avenue, 500m long). Kaffeehaus (18th-century pavilion with panoramic terrace — reopened as café). Duration: 1-2 hours walking the gardens.
€16 all-inclusive (Palatina + Royal Apartments + Modern Art + Costume + Silver + Boboli). Open Tue-Sun 8:15am-6:30pm. Book on uffizi.it or GYG. Duration: 2-3 hours (Palatina 1.5h + Boboli 1h). Location: Piazza Pitti, Oltrarno — cross Ponte Vecchio from centro.