Right after Ponte Vecchio (the Old Bridge), on the other side of the river Arno, we find Palazzo Pitti (Pitti Palace), a huge building in Renaissance style and highest expression of Florentine "bugnato" (ashlar-work).

Initially it consisted only of the current central part and was built by the powerful family of Pitti, before allied and then enemy of the Medici. In 1549 it passed under the property of the Medici's family, who decided to transform it into a real royal palace, committing the enlargement works to the architect Ammannati. In 1560 Cosimo I moved here the his Court. During centuries it was enlarged again and again: in the XVII century the facade was extended till the current dimensions and in the XVIII century were added the lateral wings.

Inside the Pitti Palace there are: the Galleria Palatina (Palatine Gallery), with a magnificient collection of paintings from XVI to XVIII century, among which some masterpieces by Raffaello Sanzio and Tiziano Vecellio; the Appartamenti Reali (Royal Apartments), with the furniture of three ruling families over Tuescany: the Medici, the Absburg of Lorena and the Savoy; the Gallery of Modern Art, with Italian paintings between XVIII and XX century, where stand out the works by "Macchiaioli" (Florentine impressionist painters); the Museo degli Argenti (Museum of Silverware), with the treasure by Medici and Absburg of Lorena; the Galleria del Costume (Costumes Gallery), with exhibitions of clothes and linen belonging to XVIII century and later.