The Palazzo Corsini is a monumental palace located on Via del Parione #11, with a facade towards the
Arno River
The Arno is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the most important river of central Italy after the Tiber.
Source and route
The river originates on Monte Falterona in the Casentino area of the Apennines, and initially takes a s ...
, in
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
, region of
Tuscany
Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze'').
Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...
, Italy.
History
The site had been appropriated from the Ardinghelli family prior to the 17th century by the
Medicis
The House of Medici ( , ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici, in the Republic of Florence during the first half of the 15th century. The family originated in the Mu ...
, who built a casino, a small house with gardens extending to the river. In 1649, it was purchased by Maria Maddalena Macchiavelli, the wife of the Marchese Filippo Corsini, from the
Grand Duke Ferdinando II de’ Medici.
The palace was constructed during the mid-17th to the 18th centuries, built with one side having U-shape wings facing the
Arno
The Arno is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the most important river of central Italy after the Tiber.
Source and route
The river originates on Monte Falterona in the Casentino area of the Apennines, and initially takes a s ...
to give maximum view of the river. The initial architects were
Alfonso Parigi the Younger, followed by
Ferdinando Tacca until 1671. Completing the massive structure was
Antonio Maria Ferri
Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language-speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 400 most popular male ...
.
The interiors are elegantly frescoed. The artists include
Anton Domenico Gabbiani
Anton Domenico Gabbiani (13 February 1652 – 22 November 1726) was an Italian painter and active in a late Baroque style.
Biography
Born in Florence, Gabbiani first apprenticed with the Medici court portrait painter Justus Sustermans, then w ...
,
Alessandro Gherardini
Alessandro Gherardini (16 November 1655 – 1726) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, active mainly in Florence.
He was the pupil of the painter Alessandro Rosi. In Florence, he painted a ''Crucifixion'' for the Monastery of the A ...
and
Pier Dandini. The two storey throne room, designed by Ferri during 1694-1696, covers 320 square feet. Ferri also designed the dramatic entrance staircase. The family's fortunes were to peak with the election of Lorenzo Corsini as
Pope Clement XII
Pope Clement XII ( la, Clemens XII; it, Clemente XII; 7 April 16526 February 1740), born Lorenzo Corsini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 July 1730 to his death in February 1740.
Clement presided over the ...
(1730 - 1740). The palace still contains remnants of a sculptural collection, but most of the movable artwork was transferred to the family's
palazzo
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...
in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
.
Biennale dell'Antiquariato
29th edition, featuring palace.
The palace is still owned by the Corsini family, and rented out for events.
References
{{Coord, 43.7705, 11.2492, format=dms, type:landmark_region:IT, display=title
Corsini