Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens

Luca Pitti built the palace in the 1450s to outdo the Medici and his family went bankrupt; the Medici bought it in 1550 and made it their main residence, extending it into the vast rusticated block that stands now. Behind it Boboli climbs the hill in terraces, amphitheatres, avenues and grottoes, laid out from the sixteenth century and copied across Europe. The Buontalenti grotto is encrusted with false stalactites and once held Michelangelo's Prisoners. Inside, the Palatine Gallery hangs pictures in the dense princely manner rather than by chronology, with a large group of Raphaels and Titians.

What you actually see

• The Palatine Gallery - Raphaels and Titians hung as the grand dukes arranged them.
• The Boboli terraces - a hillside garden of avenues, basins and statuary.
• The Buontalenti grotto - a chamber of artificial stalactites and figures.
• The royal apartments - state rooms of the Medici, Lorraine and Savoy.

When to go

April to June and September to October; Boboli has little shade and is punishing in summer. The palace closes Mondays. Combined tickets cover several museums.

Honest expectations

The gardens are a steep climb with limited shade and few facilities. The picture hang is dense and poorly lit in places. Combined tickets are valid over set days only.

Nearby

Ponte Vecchio lies north; Santo Spirito is close.