La Bella Italia (Beautiful Italy) is a special exhibition celebrating the unification of Italy in the city that, from 1865 to 1870, was the second capital of the New Kingdom, and which offered Pitti Palace as the residence for King Victor Emmanuel II and his court.

In the year of the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy, the city is remembering that period in history with an exhibition, which will be coming to Florence after having been in Turin.

La Bella Italia. Art and Identity in the Capital Cities is not about the Risorgimento, but about the historic, cultural, artistic and literary importance of all the territories that made up the Italian Nation.

With this end in mind, a selection has been made of Italian cities which can be considered as ‘thematic’ capitals during the many centuries before the unification of the nation: Rome, for Classic Antiquity; Florence, for the Italian language and the Renaissance; Turin, for the Savoy rulers and their court; Genoa, for its wealth and commercial power; Palermo for its mixed heritage coming from the Greeks, the Romans, the rule of King Frederick and the Arabs. But also Naples, Bologna, Parma, Milan and Venice.

The exhibition includes four Florentine museums, all inside Pitti Palace: the Palatine Gallery, the Silver Museum, the Costume Gallery and the Modern Art Gallery, with over 300 works of art on an exhibition area of 2,000 square metres.

By presenting significant exhibits, the show is offering an overall view and almost ‘photographing’ the immense cultural, artistic and literary heritage that each capital city has handed over to Italy and to the Italians as a united country. This is an exceptional opportunity to admire such a diverse collection of masterpieces, from Byzantine mosaics to 19th-century landscapes.

For this exhibition there is a special ticket that allows entrance to the entire Royal Palace and the Boboli Gardens.

Adults € 18.00, concessions € 9.00 (valid for 72 hours).