Monument to Cosimo I de' Medici

Why go

Cosimo I appears in the robes of Grand Master of the Knights of St Stephen, the order for which the square was reshaped. Look at the dolphin beneath him and the shell basin below the pedestal: the maritime imagery ties the monument to the order's sea power. The statue gains meaning from the palace directly behind it.

What to look for

• Cosimo I wears the dress of Grand Master of the Knights of St Stephen.
• A dolphin appears below the figure; a shell-shaped fountain basin sits at the base.
• The monument stands on axis with Palazzo della Carovana.

The full story

The statue of Cosimo I de' Medici was commissioned by his son Ferdinando I for Piazza dei Cavalieri at the end of the sixteenth century. Pietro Francavilla portrayed Cosimo as Grand Master of the Knights of St Stephen, the order that had taken over the square's former civic buildings. This is why the monument faces Palazzo della Carovana, once the order's headquarters. The dolphin under Cosimo and the shell-shaped fountain basin give the figure a maritime language suited to the knights' campaigns. The sculpture is therefore a political statement as well as a portrait. Pisa had lost its independence to Florence long before the statue was made; in this location, Medici authority is placed directly at the heart of the old Pisan commune. Look at the figure, the fountain and the palace together to read that message.

Useful to know

• View the statue together with Palazzo della Carovana rather than as a separate detour.

Your next visit

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