User:Powellmb

Since Cosimo was thrown into control unexpectedly and at a very young age, his first Florentine art and cultural accomplishments were widely recognized. Cosmio’s first step toward symbolizing his new power and the death of the Florentine Republic was with the renovations of the Palazzo Vecchio, located in the Piazza della Signoria.

The Palazzo Vecchio was home to the Florentine Government, the meeting place of all important decisions made by the highest ranking government officials and rightfully so, representative and symbolic of Florence as a whole. The first thing that Cosimo I did was move his family out of this Medici Palace where they had resided since into the Palazzo Vecchio in 1540. This move into the government building was a way of Cosimo I signifying that by living in the Palazzo, the Medici family should be seen as the actual government of Florence.

Work on the Palazzo Vecchio: Work on the Palazzo Vecchio was strategic for Cosimo I because he wanted to appeal to his citizens, and keep them loyal to he and his family name by preserving a look of the Palazzo Vecchio that they were already used to, while at the same time, changing other things to make it a Medici emblem. Cosimo I decided to do this by keeping the entire outside façade of the building the same as before and renovate the inside of the palace, more specifically, the Sala dei 500, or the “room of the 500”.

Outside of the Palazzo Vecchio, Cosimo began or was linked to several sculptures including the Fountain of Neptune by Bandinelli in 1575, Perseus by Cellini in 1554, and Herculeus & Cacus by Bandinelli in 1545. All of these outside works commemorate Cosimo's triumph over the preceeding Republic of Florence through the content of each scuplture. For example, the scupluture by Cellini titled "Perseus" that remains outside of the Palazzo Vecchio in the Loggia dei Lanzi depicts Perseus having just slayed the head of Medusa, raising in the air as a sign of victory.

Cosimo and Giorgio Vasari

Cosimo I acted as a patron of the arts and commissioned many works but had a special relationship with Florentine artist Giorgio Vasari. He commissioned Vasari as the artist to do the renovations to the interior of the Palazzo Vecchio and is well known for his construction of the Sala dei 500. This room was named for the actions that took place here, where the 500 member government council would meet in the Palazzo Vecchio on government matters. It is also the most important room in any building in Florence for this reason, therefore any additions and/or renovations to this room are symbolic in itself. Adorning the walls and ceiling of the Salone dei 500 are all of Cosimo’s successes as a leader including the territories he conquered from Siena to coastal territories, as well as his own coronation located in the center of the ceiling

After his works on the Palazzo Vecchio, Cosimo moved his family out of the building, aquired the Pitti Palace in 1549 and moved into that building where he did more renovations and added the Boboli Gardens. In 1540 Cosimo commissioned Vasari to began working on the project of the Uffizi Gallery, home to the government offices. This modern style U-shaped building was named "uffizi" for the italian traslation meaning "offices".

When the Uffizi Gallery was completed in 1560, Cosimo had now completed work and lived in various buildings including the Palazzo Vecchio, the Uffizi, and the Pitti Palace. For the purpose of convenience and as a symbol of prestige, Cosimo had Vasari build a secret corridor that connected all three places. The pathway began in the south corner of the Palazzo Vecchio and went into the Uffizi, then followed along the Arno river and across the Ponte Vecchio, over the shops that lined the bridge, and into the Pitti Palace on the other side of the river. By having this special corridor Cosimo shows that he walks a separate pathway above the streets where his citizens walk.

Notes

Palazzo Medici Riccardi. Cosimo I de Medici. Perseus and Medusa. Hercules and Cacus. Fountain of Neptune. Uffizi Gallery. Uffizi Gallery Museum and Vasari Corridor.