The miniatures cabinet

Room 24, which is located at the end of the second corridor, on the second floor of the gallery, is a small room, called the miniature cabinet. The room has an ellipsoidal plan, and can be seen from the outside.

Grand Duke Ferdinando I de Medici installed it after his wedding, in the second half of the 16th century, with Christina of Lorraine, who brought as a dowry, from France to Florence, a collection of gems and precious stones.

In the past it was home to many collections, many of which today are in the Museo degli Argenti in the Pitti Palace, bronzes, gold, jewels, gems, precious stones, Mexican objects. Today there are about four hundred miniatures, from various periods and schools. These are portraits of representatives of the Medici family, specially collected by Cardinal Leopold.

The current appearance and oval shape of the room date back to a series of works carried out in the 18th century by the Florentine architect Zanobi del Rosso, at the behest of Peter Leopold.

A little gem on the Gallery trail: a richly decorated room, with grotesque ceilings and the floor covered in colored marble, creating a wonderful setting for small works displayed on the walls.

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