Origin of the Roman Empire

1768 · Villa Poggio Imperiale, Arcetri, Florence

historical

Of all the Medici villas in the environs of Florence, Poggio Imperiale has the most imposing site and is also closest to the Palazzo Pitti, which became the official residence of the grand dukes in 1561. The property came into the possession of Cosimo I de' Medici in 1565. From 1618 Maria Magdalena of Austria, the wife of Cosimo II de' Medici invested a great sum on improvements made under the direction of Giulio Parigi.

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About the Artist

Tommaso Gherardini

1715 – 1797

Italian painter. He was a pupil of Vincenzo Meucci in Florence. He was much appreciated by the Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo for his neoclassicist taste. In particular he introduced into Florence new types of decoration, the so-called Pompeian style and the fake bas-relief. From the 1740s he participated in the decoration of villas and palaces in Florence and its environment. He painted a hall of the Gallery of the Sufficing and also in the Imperial palace of Vienna. From 1769 to 1777 he painted a series of frescoes in the Villa Doggie Imperial, near Florence, together with Giuliano Traballesi and Giuseppe del Moro.

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