The Palazzo di Bianca Cappello, originally belonging to Corbinelli family is a

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...

-style palace located on Via Maggio #26 of the quarter of

Oltrarno The Oltrarno (''beyond the Arno'') is a quarter of Florence, Italy. It is located south of the River Arno. It contains part of the historic centre of Florence and many notable sites such as the church Santo Spirito di Firenze, Palazzo Pitti, Bel ...

in Florence, region of Tuscany, Italy. It is notable for its facade decoration, and once housing

Bianca Cappello Bianca Cappello (154820 October 1587) was an Italian noblewoman who was the mistress, and afterward the second wife, of Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. Her husband officially made her his consort. Coincidentally, the creation of t ...

, the mistress, then wife of the Grand-Duke

Francesco I de' Medici Francesco I (25 March 1541 – 19 October 1587) was the second Grand Duke of Tuscany, ruling from 1574 until his death in 1587. He was a member of the House of Medici. Biography Born in Florence, Francesco was the son of Cosimo I de' Medic ...

History

The house, which was near the Grand-Duke's

Palazzo Pitti The Palazzo Pitti (), in English sometimes called the Pitti Palace, is a vast, mainly Renaissance, palace in Florence, Italy. It is situated on the south side of the River Arno, a short distance from the Ponte Vecchio. The core of the present ...

, was acquired in 1566 and refurbished for Bianca Capello, who utilized the architectural work (1570–1574) of

Bernardo Buontalenti Bernardo Buontalenti (), byname of Bernardo Delle Girandole ( 1531 – June 1608), was an Italian stage designer, architect, theatrical designer, military engineer and artist and inventor of italian ice cream. Biography Buontalenti was born in ...

. The palace was cede by the Capello to the

Ospedale di Santa Maria Nuova The Hospital of Santa Maria Nuova (i.e. ''Ospedale di Santa Maria Nuova'' in Italian) is the oldest hospital still active in Florence, Italy. History and artistic profile Origins The hospital was founded in 1288 by Folco Portinari, the father ...

, and soon thereafter (1579–1580) the facade graffito was decorated by

Bernardino Poccetti Bernardino Poccetti (26 August 1548 – 10 October 1612), also known as Barbatelli, was an Italian Mannerist painter and printmaker of etchings. Biography Born in Florence, he was initially trained as a decorator of facades and ceilings, enrol ...

. The palace later came into possession of the Riccardi family, then

Carlo Lasinio Carlo Lasinio (Treviso 10 February 1759 – 29 March 1838 Pisa) was an Italian engraver. Biography He was born at Treviso, but worked chiefly at Florence. Lasinio started as a painter at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia, Accademia di B ...

, professor of the Florentine

Accademia di Belle Arti This is a list of the tertiary-level schools or academies of fine art in Italy that are recognised by the Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca, the Italian ministry of higher education. Accademie di Belle Arti The offic ...

. It now belongs to the Comune of Florence, who have made it the archive and laboratory of conservation of books of the

Gabinetto Vieusseux The Gabinetto Scientifico Letterario G. P. Vieusseux, founded in 1819 by Giovan Pietro Vieusseux, a Protestant merchant from Geneva, is a library in Florence, Italy. It played a vital role in linking the culture of Italy with that of other Eu ...

. Across the street is the Palazzo Ridolfi (Via di Maggio #13), designed by

Santi di Tito Santi di Tito (5 December 1536 – 25 July 1603) was one of the most influential and leading Italian painters of the proto-Baroque style – what is sometimes referred to as "Counter-Maniera" or Counter-Mannerism. Biography He was born in Flor ...

. On the same side of the street is Palazzo Machiavelli (#16-18), now an Anglican church.Blue Guide Florence
by Alta Macadam. File:Palazzo di bianca cappello, graffiti 03.JPG, Facade File:Palazzo di bianca cappello, stemma cappello.JPG, Heraldic shield of Cappello File:Palazzo di bianca cappello, finestra inginocchiata, pipistrello.JPG, Architectural detail File:Palazzo di bianca cappello, graffiti 08.JPG, Detail of Graffito

References

Bibliography

*Marcello Vannucci, ''Splendidi palazzi di Firenze'', Le Lettere, Firenze 1995. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bianca Cappello Palaces in Florence Renaissance architecture in Florence