Courtyard, Villa La Petraia, Florence, Tuscany, Italy

Inner courtyard with frescoes, at the Villa La Petraia, a 14th century Villa Medicea at Castello, Florence, Tuscany, Italy. The frescoes on the north and south walls are by Cosimo Daddi painted 1589-94, commissioned by Cristina of Loren, wife of Ferdinando I de Medici, depicting the exploits of Godfrey of Bouillon at the capture of Jerusalem. The frescoes in the arcades, 1637-47, are by Baldassare Franceschini, called Il Volterrano, 1611-89, commissioned by Lorenzo de Medici, depicting the Fasti Medicei, or Glories of the Medici family. The glazed roof, Venetian tiling and amethyst chandelier were built by the Kings of Savoy in 1872, when the courtyard was used as a ballroom for the wedding of Emanuele di Mirafiori and Blanche de Larderel. The villa is now a museum and forms part of the Medici UNESCO World Heritage Site. Picture by Manuel Cohen

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1589-94 1611-89 1637-47 Amethyst Arcade Arcades Baldassare Ballroom Blanche Bouillon Castello Chandelier Commissioned Cosimo Cristina Daddi Emanuele Exploits Fasti Ferdinando Firenze Forms Franceschini Frescoes Glazed Glories Godfrey Internal Lorenzo Lorraine Medicea Medicei Medici Mirafiori Petraia Tiling Toscana Volterrano

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