All of our Watermill bedrooms and suites have their own characters, both in the internal decoration and wonderful external views, whether it be mountain or garden, courtyard or riverside. Above is Lois’s video which gives you the flavour of the Bronzino bedroom and below is a little bit about the Florentine master after whom the room is named., a painter of glittering portraits.
Agnolo di Cosimo (1503–1572) is usually known as Bronzino, perhaps because of his tanned skin, or reddish hair. He was a Mannerist painter who trained with Pontorno and was court painter to Cosimo I de’ Medici. His most famous portrait is s of Cosimo’s wife Eleanor of Toledo and their son Giovanni de’ Medici.
Giovanni looks a little bored to me, but well aware of his status in 16th century Florence society. Eleanor’s dress and jewels reflect the power of the Medici family, but I always think she looks a little sad. (*This portrait was the subject of one of our One-Stop Uffizzi visits and you can learn more about it by clicking here.)
The Bronzino bedroom commands magnificent views over the courtyard and gardens, with the Apennine mountains, the backbone of Italy, in the distance. It’s the perfect setting for a couple or two friends sharing (we can make the double bed into two singles) during our inspiring creative weeks.
Come and join us: we promise you will have a bigger smile than Eleanor’s, whichever Florentine genius you choose for your bedroom, Bronzino or Brunelleschi, Donatello, Fra Angelico, Ghiberti, Gentileschi, Ghirlandaio, Lippi, Uccello, or Vasari. (More about them later.) Click hee for more about everything.