Forte Belvedere Reopens to the Public Until Early Fall

A location beloved, by foreigners and Italians alike, Florence’s Forte di Belvedere, will finally reopen on June 18.  The landmark and the lawn around it will be newly accessible to the public from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 8 pm, until October 2.

While access to the grounds is free of charge, guests must pay a fee to visit the exhibition spaces of the Palazzina, which will host two shows: Ra di Martino’s “Play It Again” and “Fotografe!” (the latter a display of works by women photographers), sponsored by the CR Firenze Foundation.

The Forte could be visited at no cost until 2010, when entrance to the grounds began to be charged. When Forte Belvedere reopened after the first lockdown, in summer 2020, the admission fee was abolished, which is again the case this year.

The Forte di Belvedere is the second and largest fortress in Florence, built between 1590 and 1595, having been commissioned by Grand Duke Ferdinando I de Medici. The Forte was designed by the architect Bernardo Buontalenti who is said to have been instructed by Giorgio Vasari in architecture and Michelangelo in sculpture. The fort’s architecture features elements of both Renaissance and military styles. The famous Vasari Corridor, which connects Palazzo Vecchio to Palazzo Pitti and the Boboli gardens, originally ended at the Forte di Belvedere. (ted de veer)