The terrestrial and celestial Gods

The terrestrial and celestial Gods in Palazzo Vecchio.
 

A whole quartier at the first floor in Palazzo Vecchio is dedicated to the "Terrestrial Gods", the members of the Medici family who, during the centuries, succeded at the government of the city: Cosimo the Elder, Lorenzo il Magnifico, Leo X, Cosimo I.
Every terrestrial god matches the Medici deity decorated at the second floor partially dedicated to the "Celestial Gods".
The wonderful decorations on the ceilings were commissioned by Cosimo I to Giorgio Vasari and his equipe in 1550s when the duke imposed his government establishing in the city-hall of Florence with his family.
The cycle starts with Leo X: the Pope represents the genesis of the Medici family's political fortune for the foundation of the Duchy of Tuscany: in fact the Four Elements at the second floor symbolize the origin of Cosmos: Earth, Water, FIre and Air.
Cosimo the Elder corresponds to Ceres: as Ceres provided for the well-being of the first men thanks to the bounty of the land, Cosimo the Elder spared no effort to endow Florence with great abundance and wealth.
At the end of this wonderful and interesting itinerary a beautiful landscape of Florence waits you!