Unusual statues decorate Boboli Garden
Classical and modern statuary collection in Boboli garden tells us something about XVI century life!
Boboli is not only Eleonora's garden the green area the grand duchess renovated from 1550s; in fact a lot of curious statues hide among the bushes of a garden 45.000 mq wide. Peasants and farmers were the first statues placed when Eleonora was still alive and they perfectly fit to the huge space she wanted to create to walk and breathe pure area, because she was ill of tuberculosis
The SACCOMAZZONE, CIVETTINO and PENTOLACCIA are three games sculpted for Boboli next to a Roman sarcophagus representing the "Twelve labors of Hercules".
Statues with the symbols of the Medici are everywhere: the Capricorn, a turtle with a sail and Neptune the god of sea, all refer to Cosimo I the granduke who married Eleonora in 1539.
A funny but clever dwarf lived at the court of Cosimo: Morgante. He was a wise counselor for Cosimo I! Valerio Cioli depicts it as a Bacchus.
At the top of the main axis of the garden the "Plenty" is dedicated to another Grand duchess who lived for a few years in Palazzo Pitti: she died at the age of 32 tumbling down the staircase of the palace while she was pregnant.
We can read the story of the Medici family and their habits through the statues of Boboli and we can learn even something about the Lorena who succeeded them as new governors at the Granduchy of Tuscany. Try to observe the Kaffehaus and the greenhouse with their particular green colour.
Pentolaccia
Saccomazzone.