Florence

Travelers' Takes

Rates and Deals

Parco di Villa Demidoff

More Photos
Tolik
Tolik
First Reviewer
4 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
1
Review
1
Photo
Editor Pick

Demidoff Monument

  • July 10, 2004
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Tolik from Tampa, Florida
Demidoff Monument

To the right of the charming Piazza Demidoff is a public garden called the Demidoff Gardini, with a statue covered by a Victorian glass canopy - monument to Nicolo Demidoff, Russian Ambassador in Tuscany. This square was dedicated to the Russian noble Nikolaj Demidoff (1773 – 1828). The Italians converted his Russian first name to the familiar Nicolo. Count Demidoff had been ambassador in Florence in the years 1820 - 1828 and lived in the palazzo Serristori (16th C) at the side of the square; during these years Demidoff was a great benefactor for the city and financed several school and assistance institutes. In 1870 the heirs of Demidoff donated to the City of Florence the marble monument (a work by Lorenzo Bartolini) portraying Nicolo as benefactor, with children and allegorical figures of the virtues around. In origin the cast iron and glass covering was not present: it was added in 1911,when the sculpture proved to have been damaged by weather inclemency. Several generations of the Demidoff family lived in Tuscany, an independent state at the time. Anatoli Demidoff (1813 – 1870), the Count’s son, lived nearby, at 54, Via San Niccolo. He married Princess Mathilde Bonaparte and became first Prince of the Principality of San Donato. This small Principality was located in what is now greater Florence and included the Villa Pratolino, originally a Medici Palatial Estate. Though the original villa had been lost, what was left of the estate and grounds were preserved today thanks to Prince Paul (1839 – 1885), second Prince of San Donato. But let’s go back to the Piazza Demidoff. At the rear corners of the Demidoff garden are still to be seen two perfectly maintained small shelters which were used by the gardeners as the tool stores. Many of them were built in the gardens and squares of Florence at the beginning of 20th century, but they were all demolished in later periods: those in Piazza Demidoff are the only two survived until now.

From journal The Other Side of Florence

Compare Florence Rates

1. Enter travel information

City

2. Select websites to compare rates

Each selected website will open a new window.

Florence Travel Deals