Statues - Hither & Thither

 

Description

Bronze equestrian statue of Grandduke Ferdinand wearing armour emblazoned on the chest with the Cross of Santo Stefano, an equestrian Order established by Cosimo the elder.

The monument was commissioned by Cosimo II, son of Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, from an elder Giambologna, and was meant to be modeled on the similar Equestrian statue of Cosimo I that stands in the Piazza della Signoria.

This project was mainly completed by his pupil Pietro Tacca, and the statue was cast in 1602, It is said the statue was cast with cannons taken from the Turks by the Knights of Santo Stefano. It was inaugurated at the site in 1608 during the festivities celebrating the marriage of Prince Cosimo II with Maria Maddalena d'Austria. The base dates from 1640.

Inscription(s)

ferdinando primo magno etrvriae dvci ferdinandvs secvndvs nepos ann. sal. mdcxl	To Ferdinand the First Grandduke of Tuskany Ferdinand the second his grandson in the year 1640
maiestate tantvm Below this, a queen bee surrounded by numerous bees

Sculptors

• Giambologna, or Jean Boulogne, incorrectly known as Giovanni da Bologna and Giovanni Bologna (Douai 1529 - Florence 1608), sculptor, known for his marble and bronze statuary in a late Renaissance or Mannerist style (Wikipedia).
  
• Pietro Tacca (Carrara 1577 - Firenze/Florence 1640), Italian sculptor (Wikipedia).

Sources & Information

• Wikipedia, Equestrian Monument of Ferdinando I, and in English Equestrian Monument of Ferdinando I.
• Edoardo De Carli, Chi era Costui?
• Kees van Tilburg, From Marcus Aurelius to Kim Jong-il: The story of equestrian statues throughout the ages (Amstelveen, 2017). – see also the Equestrian statue website.

Tags

• Town: Firenze
• Provincia: Firenze (prov.)
• Regione: Toscana
• Country: Italy
• Bee
• Equestrian statue
• Ferdinando I de' Medici
• Giambologna
• Monarch
• Tacca, Pietro

Locatie (N 43°46'34" - E 11°15'37") (Satellite view: Google Maps)

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