Palazzo Vecchio - Florence - Italy
Built between 1299 and 1314, the Palazzo Vecchio is certainly the most remarkable building of Florence. It was given quite many names durind in long existence : Palazzo dei Priori, palazzo della Signoria (la Signoria was the ruling body of the city in medieval and Renaissance times), Palazzo del Popolo, Palazzo Ducale (when Cosimo de Medicis became duke and moved from Palazzo Medici in 1540) and eventually Palazzo Vecchio ("Old Palace") when the duke left for the more modern Palazzo Pitti.
In the late 1860's, when Florence became capital of the kingdom of Italy the palace became the seat of the new provisional government. Since 1871, it houses the office of the mayor of Florence and the City Council : although most of the place is now a museum, it remains a deep symbol and true place of local government.
Built by order of duke Cosimo I de Medici in 1565, the Vasari Corridor connects the Palazzo Vecchio with the Palazzo Pitti, about 1 km further on the other bank of the Arno. Here you see it crossing the via della Ninna between Palazzo Vecchio (on the left) and Uffizi Gallery (on the right)
Back to the daylight.
The visit starts in the lovely Michelozzo courtyard.
The huge Salone dei Cinquecento was built in 1494 by order of Savonarole, to host the Grand Council of the Republic composed of 500 members.
At that time, the room was not so high nore so brightly decorated...
In 1503, the walls are decorated with two large frescoes by Léonardo da Vinci and Michel Ange - whicih unfortunately won't last long. When Cosimo I comes to live in the palace, the room is extended and a new decoration is created by Vasari, covering the ancient one.
Close from here, you can find the elegant Studiolo of Francesco I, also designed by Vasari in the 1570's.
In the middle of the roof, is Prometheus receiving the gifts of nature.
The walls, covered with painted wood panels, hide secret cupboards where the duke could keep precious objects and papers.
At each side, are the portraits of Francesco's parents : Cosimo I...
...and Eleanor of Toledo.
Let's get out of the studiolo to go to the apartments of Leo X.
In those ceremonial rooms, the painted walls recall the history of Medici family's most famous members :
Cosimo the Elder in a first room
Lorenzo the Magnificent in the second
And pope Leo X, Lorenzo's second son, in the third room.
On a wall, a view of the Palazzo and piazza della Signoria during a feast.
The other apartments are upstairs...
On the second floor, we find the Apartment of the Elements and a serie of rooms dedicated to greco-roman deities.
The apartments of Eleanor of Toledo...
...with their beaufiful chapel frescoed by Bronzino in the 1540's
The Chapel of the Signoria, with its frescoes imitating gold mosaic, work of Ghirlandaio.
The Audience Chamber (Sala dell'Udienza) contains the oldest decorations in the palace, as this carved golden ceiling, made in the 1470's.
The frescoes are a bit more recent, painted by Francesco Salviati in the middle of 16th century.
The Hall of Geographical Maps (or Guardaroba) shows the known world of the 16th century through an large collection of maps and cartography-related objects.
Last but not least, the Hall of Lilies symbolizes the traditional alliance between Florence and France.
In 1465, the french king Louis XI allowed Piero de Medici to include three fleurs-de-lys in the family coat of arms. Which was a great privilege !
The frescoes are also work of Ghirlandaio.
♠
In the late 1860's, when Florence became capital of the kingdom of Italy the palace became the seat of the new provisional government. Since 1871, it houses the office of the mayor of Florence and the City Council : although most of the place is now a museum, it remains a deep symbol and true place of local government.
Built by order of duke Cosimo I de Medici in 1565, the Vasari Corridor connects the Palazzo Vecchio with the Palazzo Pitti, about 1 km further on the other bank of the Arno. Here you see it crossing the via della Ninna between Palazzo Vecchio (on the left) and Uffizi Gallery (on the right)
Back to the daylight.
The visit starts in the lovely Michelozzo courtyard.
The huge Salone dei Cinquecento was built in 1494 by order of Savonarole, to host the Grand Council of the Republic composed of 500 members.
At that time, the room was not so high nore so brightly decorated...
In 1503, the walls are decorated with two large frescoes by Léonardo da Vinci and Michel Ange - whicih unfortunately won't last long. When Cosimo I comes to live in the palace, the room is extended and a new decoration is created by Vasari, covering the ancient one.
Close from here, you can find the elegant Studiolo of Francesco I, also designed by Vasari in the 1570's.
In the middle of the roof, is Prometheus receiving the gifts of nature.
The walls, covered with painted wood panels, hide secret cupboards where the duke could keep precious objects and papers.
At each side, are the portraits of Francesco's parents : Cosimo I...
...and Eleanor of Toledo.
Let's get out of the studiolo to go to the apartments of Leo X.
In those ceremonial rooms, the painted walls recall the history of Medici family's most famous members :
Cosimo the Elder in a first room
Lorenzo the Magnificent in the second
And pope Leo X, Lorenzo's second son, in the third room.
On a wall, a view of the Palazzo and piazza della Signoria during a feast.
The other apartments are upstairs...
On the second floor, we find the Apartment of the Elements and a serie of rooms dedicated to greco-roman deities.
The apartments of Eleanor of Toledo...
...with their beaufiful chapel frescoed by Bronzino in the 1540's
The Chapel of the Signoria, with its frescoes imitating gold mosaic, work of Ghirlandaio.
The Audience Chamber (Sala dell'Udienza) contains the oldest decorations in the palace, as this carved golden ceiling, made in the 1470's.
The frescoes are a bit more recent, painted by Francesco Salviati in the middle of 16th century.
The Hall of Geographical Maps (or Guardaroba) shows the known world of the 16th century through an large collection of maps and cartography-related objects.
Last but not least, the Hall of Lilies symbolizes the traditional alliance between Florence and France.
In 1465, the french king Louis XI allowed Piero de Medici to include three fleurs-de-lys in the family coat of arms. Which was a great privilege !
The frescoes are also work of Ghirlandaio.
♠