Florence Triumphant over Pisa

myminifactory

This is a stunning marble sculptural group commissioned by Prince Francesco de' Medici back in 1565 as a perfect complement to Michelangelo's Victory. That incredible masterpiece had been given to the Medici family by Michelangelo's nephew and successor following his death just a year earlier. The two marbles were meant to be showcased together in the grand Salone del Cinquecento of Florence's Palazzo Vecchio during Francesco's wedding celebration to Joanna of Austria that December. Unfortunately, time was running out even for selecting and transporting the marble block from the quarry, so the full-sized clay (gesso) model - now on display at the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence - took its place as a substitute until the actual work could be completed in 1570.