The Forte di Belvedere or Fortezza di Santa Maria in San Giorgio del Belvedere (often called simply Belvedere) is a fortification in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

History

Forte Belvedere is the second and largest fortress to be built in

. It was designed and built by

Bernardo Buontalenti Bernardo Buontalenti (), byname of Bernardo Delle Girandole ( 1531 – June 1608), was an Italian stage designer, architect, theatrical designer, military engineer and artist and inventor of italian ice cream. Biography Buontalenti was born in ...

over a five-year period, between 1590 and 1595, by order of Grand Duke

Ferdinando I de' Medici Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (30 July 1549 – 3 February 1609) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1587 to 1609, having succeeded his older brother Francesco I. Early life Ferdinando was the fifth son (the third surviving at t ...

. Fortifications were significant in the 16th century and a demonstration of a city's wealth and capabilities. The fortress is located in the southern hills of the

Arno The Arno is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the most important river of central Italy after the Tiber. Source and route The river originates on Monte Falterona in the Casentino area of the Apennines, and initially takes a ...

River and on the highest hill of the

Boboli Gardens The Boboli Gardens ( it, Giardino di Boboli) is a historical park of the city of Florence that was opened to the public in 1766. Originally designed for the Medici, it represents one of the first and most important examples of the Italian garden, ...

. It had long been considered one of the weakest spots in the city's defenses, a sensation that only increased with the invention of artillery in the early modern era. From a military point of view, the fortress is located at the most strategic point, overlooking almost the entire city and surrounding area. Due to the nature of Renaissance warfare, forts were paramount in a city's defensive strategy. The Fort served several purposes. Most importantly it was designed to protect the centre of government in

and the Medici family if the city came under attack.Leila. (2013). Fort Belvedere: giant sculptures and great views. Retrieved July 22, 2014 fro

/ref> It was also constructed to protect the

Pitti Palace The Palazzo Pitti (), in English sometimes called the Pitti Palace, is a vast, mainly Renaissance, palace in Florence, Italy. It is situated on the south side of the River Arno, a short distance from the Ponte Vecchio. The core of the present ...

Oltrarno The Oltrarno (''beyond the Arno'') is a quarter of Florence, Italy. It is located south of the River Arno. It contains part of the historic centre of Florence and many notable sites such as the church Santo Spirito di Firenze, Palazzo Pitti, Bel ...

district and south end of the city.Zannoni, V. (2014, May 20). Florence’s Belvedere Fort From the Medics to the Wests. Swide. Retrieved fro

/ref> In addition to this, the fort served as a garrison for troops for over 100 years after its completion.

Galileo Galilei Galileo di Vincenzo Bonaiuti de' Galilei (15 February 1564 – 8 January 1642) was an Italian astronomer, physicist and engineer, sometimes described as a polymath. Commonly referred to as Galileo, his name was pronounced (, ). He wa ...

used Forte Belvedere for his astronomical observations and after he was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1633, he lived not far from the fort in Villa Arcetri.

Architecture

The design of the fort reflects both Italian Renaissance and military architecture. Buontalenti's application of contemporary fortification principles is evident throughout the design. The walls are built at angles that allow for all the walls to be seen by another wall, allowing for cross fire to assist in protecting the other walls. The fort was connected to the Palazzo Vecchio via the

Vasari Corridor The Vasari Corridor ( it, Corridoio Vasariano) is an elevated enclosed passageway in Florence, central Italy, connecting the Palazzo Vecchio with the Palazzo Pitti. Beginning on the south side of the Palazzo Vecchio, it joins the Uffizi Galle ...

. There were also passages connecting it to the

and paths leading through the

. Frescos seen in the Palazzo Vecchio show an earlier version of the fort, built of earth and stone

gabions A gabion (from Italian ''gabbione'' meaning "big cage"; from Italian ''gabbia'' and Latin ''cavea'' meaning "cage") is a cage, cylinder or box filled with rocks, concrete, or sometimes sand and soil for use in civil engineering, road building ...

. The design of the fort demonstrated the power and prestige of the Medici Family. The opulent villa at the centre of the fortress, Palazzina di Belvedere, predates the fort and was designed by

Bartolomeo Ammannati Bartolomeo Ammannati (18 June 151113 April 1592) was an Italian architect and sculptor, born at Settignano, near Florence. He studied under Baccio Bandinelli and Jacopo Sansovino (assisting on the design of the Library of St. Mark's, the ''Bibli ...

around 1570. As the fort's secondary purpose was to house the Grand Duke in times of unrest or epidemic, it was built as a comfortable, luxurious palace. It did not adhere to military purposes, housing the Medici family's treasures in the bottom of a well inside the building.

Contemporary use

Today the Forte di Belvedere constitutes a monumental, historic, artistic and environmental focal point, offering visitors sweeping views of

and an insight to

Renaissance architecture Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of Ancient Greece, ancient Greek and ...

and military activity. After five years of renovation to improve its safety features, the fort reopened to visitors in July 2013. It serves primarily as a tourist attraction and exhibition centre, hosting elite events and artistic exhibitions year round.Forte di Belvedere. (2014). Retrieved July 19, 2014 from http://museicivicifiorentini.comune.fi.it/en/fortebelvedere/descrizione.htm On May 24, 2014, celebrity couple

Kim Kardashian Kimberly Noel Kardashian (formerly West; born October 21, 1980) is an American socialite, media personality, and businesswoman. She first gained media attention as a friend and stylist of Paris Hilton, but received wider notice after the s ...

and

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...

paid €300,000 to hire the fort as the venue for their lavish wedding.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Belvedere (Fort) Infrastructure completed in 1595 Buildings and structures in Florence Forts in Italy 1595 establishments in Italy