(ANSA) - An 18th-century bathroom used by the Italian royal family and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany has been found under piles of documents at one of Florence's most important palaces.
Administrators at Palazzo Pitti had used the area for decades as a document storeroom, not deeming it to be of any special architectural value. But a recent study of historical archives suggested this section of palace could be hiding something important.
When experts then took up the floorboards, they found two of the world's first modern-style bathrooms. The washrooms were made between 1774 and 1790 for Grand Duke Peter Leopold - later Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II, 1790-1792 - and his wife Maria Louisa.
The duke's room features a large rectangular bathtub with marble steps, while the duchess' part has a round bath. The rooms - known as the Ritirata della Granduchessa, the Duchess' Lavatory - have early examples of modern toilet systems.
They also have complex plumbing systems, imported by Leopold from his native Austria, which, like today's, are capable of mixing hot and cold to get the water to the right temperature.
Experts say the bathrooms were probably used by the Italian royal family - the Savoys - when Palazzo Pitti was their residence during Florence's brief spell as the nation's capital, 1865-1870.
Palazzo Pitti is Florence's biggest palace. It was built in the middle of the 15th century and is
the former home of the powerful Medici family, which produced three popes and many dukes of Florence and Tuscany. It is a favourite with art enthusiasts for its various museums, including the magnificent Galleria Palatina, which features works by Raphael, Titian, Perugino, Caravaggio and
Rubens.
The restoration of the bathrooms also uncovered a previously unknown skylight and wall paintings of Roman ruins by Luigi Catani (1762-1840), an artist from the nearby town of Prato.
Palazzo Pitti officials said small groups will be able to see the bathrooms, but visits must be booked in advance.
