The Palazzo Medici Riccardi

AMIR KAMYABI

5638120

A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL

FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS

FOR THE DEGREE OF

BACHLOR OF INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE

DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN

ASSUPTION UNIVERSITY

2015

In this thesis the difference between exterior and interior based on material,

proportion and rustication will be pointed out. The Palazzo Medici Riccardi is a

Renaissance palace located in Florence, Italy. The palace is one of the most important

examples of Mannerism1. The Palazzo Medici Riccardi was designed by Michelozzo di

Bartolomeo for a rich, Welty banking family between 1442 and 14842.

The Palazzo Medici Riccardi has remarkable characteristics. The significant

differentiation between interior and exterior design is the main characteristic to attempt

to understanding The Palazzo Medici Riccardi. Differentiation between interior and

exterior design based on material and proportion is remarkable. The contradiction

between simple and rough facade and Luxurious interior could be causing curiosity for

anyone3. The exterior of The Palazzo Medici Riccardi is rustication and ashlar.

Rustication stone masonry displays a rough, rich and bold surface for exterior walls.

But, the interior design is luxury with many significant paints. The luxury interior

decorated with gold and fine marbles, and also with carvings and sculptures. Tapestries

and frescos have been used for decorated interior design too4.

1 “Palazzo Medici-Riccardi Palace”, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc,2015, Accessed November 29, 2015,

http://global.britannica.com/place/Palazzo-Medici-Riccardi. 2 Millen, Ronald Forsyth, and Robert Erich Wolf. 1987. “Palazzo Medici into Palazzo Riccardi: The Extension of the

Façade Along via Larga”. Mitteilungen Des Kunsthistorischen Institutes in Florenz 31 (1). Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz: 81–120, Accessed November 29, 2015, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27653195. 3Bailie, Lindsey Leigh,"Staging Privacy: Art and Architecture of the Palazzo Medici",scholars

bank.uoregon.edu,2010, Accessed November 29, 2015, https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1794/11049/Bailie_Lindsey_Leigh_ma2010fa.pdf?sequence=1 4 “Palazzo Medici Riccardi",A View On Cities ,2015,Accessed November 29, 2015,

http://www.aviewoncities.com/florence/palazzomediciriccardi.htm.

The Galleria di Luca Giordano is the most luxurious room in the Palazzo Medici

Riccardi. It was built in the 1770s for Gabriello Riccardi and decorated in the Baroque

style with gold stucco, wooden panels and a grandiose ceiling fresco painted by Luca

Giordano.

Unlike the beautiful and luxury interior design, the exterior design has a typical and

heavy, rough facade common to Renaissance buildings. Renaissance architecture trend

emphasizes symmetry, proportion and balance and we can see the tendency of

Renaissance architecture in this building. In facade classical architecture rustication by

using stone and cutting back the edges to a plane surface while leaving the central

portion of the face either rough. I should mention, the Rusticated masonry is found as

early as the platform of the tomb of the Great Cyrus II at Pasargadae in Persia, Iran

(560 bc) 5.The windows have bars to keep people out6. As the simple exterior could be

a sign of pretension, the bars could be sign of fear of the Palazzo Medici-Riccardi

resident’s .The Welty family tended to keep people out in the event of insurrection6.

One of the most beautiful and artistic section in The Palazzo Medici Riccardi is the

Chapel frescoes in 1459 by Benozzo Gozzoli. The family’s private chapel decorated

with frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli, and an artistic gem admired the world over. The

chapel has a beautiful marble floor and gilded ceiling designed by Michelozzo. In this

family’s chapel the frescoes are the highlight of the Palazzo Medici Riccardi. The

5 “Palazzo Medici-Riccardi Palace”, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc,2015, Accessed November 29, 2015,

http://global.britannica.com/place/Palazzo-Medici-Riccardi. 6 Carol Senatore,"Palazzo Medici Riccardi

(Medici Palace) in Florence",florencewebguide,2015,Accessed November 29,2015, http://www.florencewebguide.com/palazzo-medici-riccardi.html

charming chapel has remained quite intact from Renaissance times and still contains all

of its original furnishings.

Another part of the Palazzo Medici Riccardi to have remained intact from the 1400's

is Michelozzo courtyard. In this place Cosimo used to meet people to discuss affairs.

This area of palace also used for the family's large banquets such as weddings and

celebrations.

In conclusion based on doing the drawing, model and research for this building we

can see the important parts clearly like geometric structure of the palace, differences of

sizes and proportion of exterior to interior, the resurrection style that is used on the

facade and its simple style compared to the luxurious style of the interior. Plain exterior

of building shows tendency to keep sense of comfort and privacy, also hide their power

behind the scenes. As many people believe the Medici Palace is the most complete and

convincing expression in the traditional architecture and a new compositional.

Bibliography

1- Bailie, Lindsey Leigh,"Staging Privacy: Art and Architecture of the Palazzo

Medici",scholars bank.uoregon.edu,2010, Accessed November 29, 2015,

https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1794/11049/Bailie_Lindsey_L

eigh_ma2010fa.pdf?sequence=1

2- Carol Senatore,"Palazzo Medici Riccardi

(Medici Palace) in Florence",florencewebguide,2015,Accessed November 29,2015,

http://www.florencewebguide.com/palazzo-medici-riccardi.html

3- Millen, Ronald Forsyth, and Robert Erich Wolf. 1987. “Palazzo Medici into Palazzo

Riccardi: The Extension of the Façade Along via Larga”. Mitteilungen Des

Kunsthistorischen Institutes in Florenz 31 (1). Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz: 81–

120, Accessed November 29, 2015,

http://www.jstor.org/stable/27653195.

4- “Palazzo Medici Riccardi",A View On Cities ,2015,Accessed November 29, 2015,

http://www.aviewoncities.com/florence/palazzomediciriccardi.htm.

5- “Palazzo Medici-Riccardi Palace”, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc,2015, Accessed

November 29, 2015,

http://global.britannica.com/place/Palazzo-Medici-Riccardi.

6- The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica,"Rustication",Encyclopedia Britannica,

2015,Accessed November 29, 2015,

http://global.britannica.com/technology/rustication.