A catalogue of Palazzo Pitti's clocks

Abstract

The focus of this work is the first complete catalogue of the 17th to 19thcentury clocks in the Palazzo Pitti, Florence. This extraordinary corpus (113 objects) will be introduced by an essay divided into two main chapters:

1) Time and its meaning/visualization. Time as a structure - interiorised and perceived - whose physical and extrinsic nature can be explained by astronomy. Its interpretations given by artists in art history. A synopsis of the main phases of the history of timekeeping instruments and in the history of clocks.

2) Palazzo Pitti, the history of the palace and its inhabitants. The collection of Palazzo Pitti’s clocks put in context. Its formation and evolution as evidenced through the inventories of the Guardaroba in the Palazzo Pitti’s Archives. The clocks’ technical development and changes in taste.

3) The complete catalogue of the Palazzo Pitti’s clocks. All 113 items have been newly examined as to their material and technical aspects, provenance, history and archival sources. Each entry, in chronological order, will include images, tombstone information with data, and a stylistic and mechanical description.