Florence

The Boboli Gardens occupy the hillside behind the Palazzo Pitti in Florence, forming one of the oldest and most influential examples of Italian Renaissance garden design in existence. Commissioned by Eleonora di Toledo, wife of Cosimo I de' Medici, in the sixteenth century, the gardens were laid out by Niccolò Tribolo and later extended by Bartolomeo Ammannati and Bernardo Buontalento. Their terraced lawns, grottos, fountains, and open-air amphitheatre established a template for formal garden design that spread across Europe for centuries.

Spread across roughly 45,000 square metres on the slopes of the Oltrarno district, the gardens contain an outstanding collection of antique and Renaissance sculpture displayed among cypress avenues and clipped hedgerows. Visitors can explore at their own pace with a timed entry ticket, or join a guided tour to understand the Medici symbolism woven into the layout and the stories behind individual works. The gardens remain one of Florence's most significant historic sites, offering a rare combination of landscape architecture, sculpture, and panoramic views across the city's rooftops.