Giovanni delle Bande Nere

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Monument to Giovanni delle Bande Nere by Baccio Bandinelli, 1540
Piazza San Lorenzo
Florence, January 2018

“The Monument to Giovanni delle Bande Nere is a Reinaissance-style marble, outdoor sculptural group located in Piazza San Lorenzo in Florence, region of Tuscany, Italy. The statue was originally commissioned by Cosimo I de Medici in 1540 to commemorate his father, Giovanni delle Bande Nere, the successful condottiero from the Medici family. The sculptor was Baccio Bandinelli. The statue however was controversial from the start: it was debated whether a depiction of an armed soldier should serve as a monument in a church, however even if it was not displayed in a church, it was debated if it was appropriate for a warrior like Giovanni, who had marched against foes most of his life, to be immortalized while sitting down.” (Monument to Giovanni delle Bande Nere, Florence, Wikipedia)