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Botticelli's Pallas and the Centaur
This painting, along with the Primavera, was in the palace of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici in Via Larga, where it hung above the door to an antechamber, as stated in the invetory compiled in 1498 at the death of his brother Giovanni.

pallade e il centauro
The meaning of the painting, where a young woman framed in the scenario of a marine veduta, grasps a lock of hair on the head of a centaur, is still enignmatic. Armed with a lance, she is wearing a transparent robe decorated with olive branches and embroidered with a coat-of-arms consisting of three or four interwoven diamond rings: the motto Deo amante, "devoted to God", the emblem of Cosimo the Elder and then of the other members of the Medici family, among them Lorenzo the Magnificent. It may be that the canvas was the wedding gift of the Magnificent to Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco, his cousin and pupil known for his erudition, who was married in 1482. The allegory seems to draw inspiration from the contrast between two natures, variously interpreted as Chastity and Lust, Humility and Pride, or Instict and Reason. Botticelli may have conceived of the theme after a stay in Rome, where among other antiquities he had studied a sarcophagus, from which the figure of the centaur derives.

 

Combination tour: Uffizi + Vasari Corridor

A special tour combination: the most important museum in Florence, the Uffizi Gallery and the extraordinary visit to the Corridor of the Medici's family! This tour includes a first step visiting the Ufiizi, followed by a special visity to the Vasari Corridor. A truly unique experience in Florence. The Vasari Corridor is exclusive, difficult to obtain access to, and one of the hidden treasures of the city. Feel like the Grand Duke on this walk from his private display of artworks on the top-floor of the Uffizi, along the corridor built by Vasari, all the way to the Pitti Palace and the Boboli gardens. Find out why the Corridor was built and what its purpose was. 

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Italy Travels tour guides staff is represented by licensed guides of great experience and high level of professionalism, competence and excellence on their job. All Italy Travels guides are authorized by the provincial administration of Florence and most of them are art historians and teachers in art subjects.

All regular tours organized by Italy Travels always include pre-reserved museum tickets when museum tours are included in the tour itinerary. In this way visitors avoid waisting time waiting in line in front of museums ticket offices.