This fortress, built at the end of the 16th c. at the wish of
the grand duke Ferdinando I, was designed by Bernardo
Buontalenti and Don Giovanni de’ Medici. This fort fit into the
overall defensive system of Florence as a bastion providing four
fortified fronts. The portal cut in the eastern side leads, up a
ramp, to the upper level of the embankments, now partly covered
with grass. From here you can see the inside part of the bastion
dominating the city. If you walk along the ramparts of the
perimeter, you can enjoy a magnificent close-up view of
Florence, the Arno valley and the surroundings hills. At the
centre of the fort is the earlier Palazzina di Belvedere, built
in 1560-70 to plans attributed to Bartolomeo Ammannati. Open
only for special exhibitions, it can be reached along a
stairway. The white plaster surfaces, set between angle stones
in “pietra forte”, are pierced with windows and doors designed
for “bel vedere”, the essence and meaning of the building. For
any information: Forte di Belvedere Via