Five hundred years after the birth of Eleonora of Toledo, the Municipality of Florence – World Heritage and UNESCO Relations Office, together with more than twenty-five institutions in the Tuscan territory, decided to set up an Organizing Committee to tell the story of the Duchess of Tuscany through conferences, exhibitions, concerts, thematic itineraries, and initiatives open to the general public. The program gradually took shape, becoming more and more dense.
Around the figure of Eleonora of Toledo, therefore, a rich palimpsest of initiatives was built, aimed at deepening knowledge of her and highlighting the aspects most related to civic heritage. The project was developed throughout the entire year, drawing a wide and varied program of events aimed at different audiences.
In 2021, the City of Florence and the MUS.E Association promoted a program of initiatives and events aimed at highlighting the Grand Duchess. As a mother of eleven children from one of the most powerful Spanish families of the time, she was capable of significantly fulfilling the public role of sovereign, administrator of the family patrimony, as well as patron of significant works of art. The program began in March, thanks to the support of Business Strategies, with cultural offerings in the Palazzo Vecchio, where Eleonora lived and which preserves a special memory of her. Thematic visits entitled “Under the Wings of a Lapwing” were dedicated to her, taking place at 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. and repeated every Saturday afternoon. These visits allowed the public to grasp the many references to her figure. Additionally, on Sunday afternoons (and on all the last Sundays), the public had the opportunity to be admitted to the audience with the Duchess and engage in a conversation with the historical figure through the initiative “Invitation to the Reggia: In the presence of Duchess Eleonora,” thanks to the support of Business Strategies.
Below are the details of the events that took place for the 500th anniversary.
