Part of a View of Florence from Villa Palmieri, Fiesole

As Turner’s inscription in the bottom left-hand corner indicates, the viewpoint for this panoramic sketch of Florence and the surrounding countryside is the Villa Palmieri in Fiesole. The artist appears to be standing in or near the south-facing terraced gardens looking along the winding course of the River Mugnone towards the city. The composition continues on the opposite sheet of the double-page spread, see folio 77 verso (D16615), but visible on this side is the hill of Fiesole (left) and silhouetted along the horizon, the tower of the Palazzo Vecchio in the centre of Florence (right).

Further sketches from Fiesole can be found on folios 30 verso, 31, 74–77, 78 verso–79 verso, 84 (D16542, D16543, D16608–D16614, D16617–D16619, D16627).