Eleonora di Toledo and the Creation of the Boboli Gardens

This book is a study of Eleonora di Toledo as the principal patron of the Boboli Gardens.

The gardens were from the outset a project to develop a vast estate in the heart of Renaissance Florence. Thus, Boboli represents a pivotal moment in the history of the aristocratic palace, in which the traditional relationship between architecture and landscape was inverted: extensive, elaborate gardens now assumed the role of protagonist while the palace was initially relegated to a secondary role.

Fresh archival research confirms that the duchess was solely responsible for the patronage of the gardens until her death.

A key element of this study focuses on Eleonora’s Spanish origins and the development of her taste in viceregal Naples, prompting a reconsideration of Boboli in a larger context, beyond its traditional image as part of a glorious continuum of Medici gardens.