The Exotic Room
Sala Esotica
The antique motif of the pergola with birds comes from the tradition of Raphael and post-Raphael (see the Vatican Loggia of Gregory XIII), and was a popular addition to the grand ducal artistic vocabulary (see the Corridors of the Uffizi). It was largely adopted by the workshop of Bernadino Poccetti and then of Michelangelo Cignanelli. Payment for the ceiling of this room may have been included in the payment to Cinganelli of 1625.
The varied articles on display here come from many faraway lands and attest to the Medici's frequent contacts with merchants, heads of state, travelers and explorers who during the 15th and 16th century would bring back objects of art and crafts never before seen in the western world.
Chiarini, Marco, Pitti Palace, All the Museums..., Firenze Musei, p. 140.
The varied articles on display here come from many faraway lands and attest to the Medici's frequent contacts with merchants, heads of state, travelers and explorers who during the 15th and 16th century would bring back objects of art and crafts never before seen in the western world.
Chiarini, Marco, Pitti Palace, All the Museums..., Firenze Musei, p. 140.