Gli arazzi nei musei fiorentini

The manufacture at the time of the regency of the Grand Duchesses Christina of Lorraine and Mary Magdalene of Austria. The direction of Iacopo van Asselt (1621-1629)

The second volume continues the census and study of the tapestry heritage of the Medici collections. The Grand Dukes, art collectors with an inexhaustible passion, were fascinated by these creations typical of the Flemish area, imported models and samples, hired master tapestries and created a school in Florence.

Since the sixteenth century, therefore, the "Creato fiorentini", as they were called the tapestries of the Grand Ducal workshop, reached an excellent quality, able to compete with the traditional productions of northern Europe; great and famous artists such as Bronzino, Bachiacca, Stradano and Allori prepared the cartoons and drawings that the master weavers faithfully translated on the loom.

In the period examined in this second volume, under the authoritative guidance of Iacopo van Asselt (1621-1629), the manufacture continued its activity and from the collaboration with Michelangelo Ciganelli, who provided the preparatory drawings, were born cycles of great value such as The Seasons, or the peculiar scenes of Florentine life such as the Giostra del Saracino in Via Larga or the Football in Piazza Santa Croce.