The Loggia of Ajax
Loggetta dell'Aiace
In Cosimo II’s plans to enlarge the palace in 1621, it was important to connect the new extension to that part of the palace already existing. On the ground floor, one of those connections was made by the Loggetta dell’Aiace. In the inventories of the 17th century, it is identified as the “cortilino nuovo (small new courtyard)” or the “cortilino di S.A.S. (small courtyard of H.R.H.)”. It was decorated in 1624 by Cosimo Lotti, a student of Poccetti, documented in 1601 as the author of Madonna del Rosario in the church at Carmignano, and already identified as an important creator of the gardens at Castello and at Boboli.
The ceiling of the loggetta, in excellent condition, is divided into three areas based on the Cesare Ripa’s Iconologia, a highly influential emblem book based on Egyptian, Greek and Roman emblematical representations (c. 1645). In this ceiling, the first is Faith, surrounded by Charity, and the Spirit of Sacrifice: the second, symbolizing Love towards God, is surrounded by Justice, Valor, Hope, Prudence, and Temperance; and the third alludes to Religion, surrounded by Nobility of the Soul, Bounty, Prudence, and Strength. Reading this horizontally can suggest that Faith carries the consequences of Kind-Heartedness and the Spirit of Sacrifice, while Love of God carries Generosity and Merit. Religion is tied to the Nobility of the Soul and the Love of Virtue.
The point of real interest in the frescoes of the loggetta, where the artist shows himself to be absolutely up-to-date in the practice of the Florentine post-mannerisim of Poccetti and Passignano, is above all the iconography of the frescoes. Here, we can see the moralistic and propagandistic program of the Catholic Church, as supported by Cosimo II’s widow, Maria Maddelena of Austria, and his mother, Cristina of Lorraine.
The loggetta takes its name from a sculptural group entitled "Ajax carries the body of Achilles", a Roman copy of an original Greek work made in the 2nd century BC. It was installed in its current location in 1830 when Stefano Ricci reorganized this space, but it had been purchased in the 16th century by Cosimo I and had been exhibited along with other antique sculpture in the Sala delle Nicchie. It is described in a document of 1577 as "The Gladiator", and mentioned again under that name when Giovanni Cinelli, in the 17th century, describes Giovanni Caccini's restoration of Ajax's arm that supports Achilles' body.
For more information, see: Mosco, Marilena, "La Loggetta dell'Aiace", Palazzo Pitti: l'arte e la storia, Nardini editore, 2000-2003, Firenze, pp. 63-65.
The ceiling of the loggetta, in excellent condition, is divided into three areas based on the Cesare Ripa’s Iconologia, a highly influential emblem book based on Egyptian, Greek and Roman emblematical representations (c. 1645). In this ceiling, the first is Faith, surrounded by Charity, and the Spirit of Sacrifice: the second, symbolizing Love towards God, is surrounded by Justice, Valor, Hope, Prudence, and Temperance; and the third alludes to Religion, surrounded by Nobility of the Soul, Bounty, Prudence, and Strength. Reading this horizontally can suggest that Faith carries the consequences of Kind-Heartedness and the Spirit of Sacrifice, while Love of God carries Generosity and Merit. Religion is tied to the Nobility of the Soul and the Love of Virtue.
The point of real interest in the frescoes of the loggetta, where the artist shows himself to be absolutely up-to-date in the practice of the Florentine post-mannerisim of Poccetti and Passignano, is above all the iconography of the frescoes. Here, we can see the moralistic and propagandistic program of the Catholic Church, as supported by Cosimo II’s widow, Maria Maddelena of Austria, and his mother, Cristina of Lorraine.
The loggetta takes its name from a sculptural group entitled "Ajax carries the body of Achilles", a Roman copy of an original Greek work made in the 2nd century BC. It was installed in its current location in 1830 when Stefano Ricci reorganized this space, but it had been purchased in the 16th century by Cosimo I and had been exhibited along with other antique sculpture in the Sala delle Nicchie. It is described in a document of 1577 as "The Gladiator", and mentioned again under that name when Giovanni Cinelli, in the 17th century, describes Giovanni Caccini's restoration of Ajax's arm that supports Achilles' body.
For more information, see: Mosco, Marilena, "La Loggetta dell'Aiace", Palazzo Pitti: l'arte e la storia, Nardini editore, 2000-2003, Firenze, pp. 63-65.