The exhibition “The Myth, The Sacred, the Portrait” is a short anthology that consists of several paintings that tell the stories related to collections of the Medici family, the places of origin, of clients who had requested or purchased from the antique market. The exhibition is divided into four sections, that are sorted by the most pleasing themes to the taste of the time collecting from mid sixteenth century to the first half of the seventeenth century. One of the most important paintings of the whole show is Hercules and the Hydra of Lerna, by Guido Reni, dating from about 1638-1640. In Greek mythology, the Hydra of Lerna is a monster with nine heads in the shape of a serpent, son of Typhon and Echidna. Guido Reni’s work comes from the collection of Cardinal Giovan Carlo from the Casino Medici. The exhibition is housed in the Hall of Niches of the Palatine Gallery, the museum housed in the Palazzo Pitti.
The Gallery is the picture gallery of the Grand Dukes of Florence. The paintings are housed in this museum covering the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, making it one of the most important museums of Italy.
