Tag: Andrea del Sarto

Villa Medicea di Poggio a Caiano (c.1500) and the Visitation by Pontormo (c.1528), Tuscany.

Villa Medicea di Poggio a Caiano (c.1500) and the Visitation by Pontormo (c.1528), Tuscany.

Pontormo (1494 – 1557)

Poggio a Caiano, Tuscany.

The Villa Medicea di Poggio a Caiano is located between Florence and Prato in Tuscany. It was commissioned by Lorenzo de’ Medici around 1485 and designed by Giuliano da Sangallo. The building is considered an early example of Renaissance villa architecture, with classical elements such as a symmetrical layout, a central loggia, and a raised platform. Its elevated platform, symmetrical structure, and central loggia reflect the ideals of Vitruvian proportion and balance, making it a model for later villas across Europe.

Villa Medicea di Poggio a Caiano, seen from the entrance and reception area.

The villa was used as a country residence by the Medici family. Pope Leo X (born Giovanni de’ Medici, Lorenzo de’ Medici’s son and the first Medici pope), stayed there regularly. In the 16th century, major decorative works were added, including frescoes in the main hall by Andrea del Sarto and Pontormo (a depiction of Vertumnus and Pomona), a.o. These works reflect Medici political ambitions and classical themes. The main hall and ceiling decoration is dedicated to Pope Leo X.

Villa Medicea di Poggio a Caiano, main hall ceiling, Pope Leo X coat of arms, a combination of the Papal and Medici symbols.

Later, the villa was used by the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty and by the House of Savoy. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, it served as a royal residence. Today, it is a Unesco World Heritage Site and is open to the public.

The villa currently houses The Visitation by Pontormo, on temporary display while its original location – the church of Santi Michele e Francesco in Carmignano – is undergoing restoration. The painting, a key example of early Mannerism, remains accessible to the public during this period.

Visitation (c.1528), Pontormo (1494 - 1557), Oil on board, 202x156cm, San Michele e San Francesco, Carmignano, now on view in the Medici Villa of Poggio a Caiano, Italy.
Visitation (c.1528), Pontormo (1494 – 1557), Oil on board, 202x156cm, San Michele e San Francesco, Carmignano, now on view in the Medici Villa of Poggio a Caiano, Italy.

The villa also houses the Museo della Natura Morta, a museum dedicated to still-life painting, with works from the 17th to 18th centuries. The villa is surrounded by a historic park and gardens, with beautiful citrus trees and a Limonaia (Orangery).

  • The Villa Medicea di Poggio a Caiano is off the beaten track, outside Florence and absolutely worth a visit. Reservations are needed, for English or Italian tours. The villa can be visited free of charge from Tuesday to Sunday. Guided tours lasting about an hour with admission every hour from 8.30 to 15.30. No visit at 13.30. Reservations required on +39 055 877012 (just call them, they speak English and it’s very easy to book a slot).
  • For directions, click here. Bus 210 connect the station of Signa with the Villa, the stop is right in front of the Villa. For bus 210, just tap in and out with your bankcard.
Last Supper (1525), Andrea del Sarto, Florence, Italy.

Last Supper (1525), Andrea del Sarto, Florence, Italy.

Andrea del Sarto (Italian, 1486 – 1531)

Cenacolo di Andrea del Sarto, Florence.

In the old refectory of the San Salvi monastery on the outskirts of Florence, Andrea del Sarto painted the life-like Last Supper. Initially, the artist painted the sub-arch, which took 18 days. Work was suspended for about fifteen years, and then he was called back to fresco the Last Supper properly and completed it in 46 days. During the siege of Florence it was one of the very few surviving works outside the walls of Florence, the only one of importance, and it seems that the imperial soldiers were so enchanted by its surprising modernity that they spared it. In 1534 the monastery became a female monastery and then a strict enclosure was introduced, which made the work de facto invisible until the monastery was suppressed. 

Last Supper (1525), Andrea del Sarto (Italian, 1486 – 1531), fresco, 468x871cm, Museo del Cenacolo di Andrea del Sarto, Florence.

At this Last Supper, the apostles are seated, shocked by the announcement of the betrayal just uttered by Jesus. Judas, as Leonardo already did in his Last Supper, is not separated from the table on this side as in so many other Last Suppers, but is at the right hand of Jesus, faithful to the Gospel text of John with his hand on his chest to demonstrate his disbelief, as he receives a piece of soaked bread from Jesus. Jesus had just told the group that one of them will betray him, the one he will rech out to with a piece of bread.

Selfportrait (1528), Andrea del Sarto (Italian, 1486 – 1531), fresco, 51x38cm, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence.

Andrea del Sarto (1486 – 1530) was an Italian painter from Florence, whose career flourished during the High Renaissance and early Mannerism. Although highly regarded during his lifetime as an artist senza errori or without errors, his renown was eclipsed after his death by that of his contemporaries Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael.

Museo del Cenacolo di Andrea del Sarto, Florence.