Gallery of statues

Loggia dei Lanzi, in Florence, Italy, is a building with wide arches open to the street, that has a sculpture gallery of Renaissance art.




Benvenuto Cellini's Perseus :

Wiki Says : It shows the mythical Greek hero holding his sword in his right hand and holding up triumphantly the Medusa's decapitated head in his left. Benvenuto Cellini worked almost ten years on this bronze (1545-1554).



The Rape of Polyxena, a fine diagonal sculpture by Pio Fedi from 1865 :




The Rape of the Sabine Women by Giambologna :


Wiki : This impressive work was made from one imperfect block of white marble, the largest block ever transported to Florence. The original is now in the Galleria dell' Academia. This is the first group representing more than a single figure in European sculptural history to be conceived without a dominant viewpoint. It can be equally admired from all sides. This marble and bronze group is in the Loggia since 1583.





The less celebrated marble sculpture Hercules beating the Centaur Nessus (1599) by Giambologna and placed here in 1841 :




Finally, I thought this is an interesting facts from Wiki :

"At the side of the Loggia, there is a Latin inscription from 1750 commemorating the change of the Florentine calendar in 1749 to bring it into line with the Roman calendar. The Florentine calendar began on 25 March instead of 1 January. Other inscription from 1893 records the Florentines who distinguished themselves during the annexation of Milan (1865), Venice (1866) and Rome (1871) to the kingdom of Italy."


I hope you enjoy the series of sculptures and do share your comment with me :)