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The Palazzo Vecchio ( "Old Palace") is the
town hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...
of Florence, Italy. It overlooks the Piazza della Signoria, which holds a copy of
Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (; 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known as Michelangelo (), was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was insp ...
's '' David'' statue, and the gallery of statues in the adjacent Loggia dei Lanzi. Originally called the ''Palazzo della Signoria'', after the Signoria of Florence, the ruling body of the Republic of Florence, this building was also known by several other names: ''Palazzo del Popolo'', ''Palazzo dei Priori'', and ''Palazzo Ducale'', in accordance with the varying use of the palace during its long history. The building acquired its current name when the Medici duke's residence was moved across 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 ...
to the Palazzo Pitti.


History

In 1299, the commune and people of Florence decided to build a palace that would be worthy of the city's importance, and that would be more secure and defensible in times of turbulence for the magistrates of the commune.Bartlett, 37.
Arnolfo di Cambio Arnolfo di Cambio (c. 1240 – 1300/1310) was an Italian architect and sculptor. He designed Florence Cathedral and the sixth city wall around Florence (1284–1333), while his most important surviving work as a sculptor is the tomb of Cardin ...
, the architect of the Duomo and the Santa Croce church, began construction upon the ruins of ''Palazzo dei Fanti'' and ''Palazzo dell'Esecutore di Giustizia'', once owned by the Uberti family. Giovanni Villani (1276–1348) wrote in his ''
Nuova Cronica The ''Nuova Cronica'' (also: ''Nova Cronica'') or '' New Chronicles'' is a 14th-century history of Florence created in a year-by-year linear format and written by the Italian banker and official Giovanni Villani (c. 1276 or 1280–1348). T ...
'' that the Uberti were "rebels of Florence and
Ghibellines The Guelphs and Ghibellines (, , ; it, guelfi e ghibellini ) were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, rivalr ...
", stating that the palazzo was built to ensure that the Uberti family homes would never be rebuilt on the same location. The cubical building is made of solid rusticated stonework, with two rows of two-lighted Gothic windows, each with a trefoil arch. In the 15th century, Michelozzo di Bartolomeo Michelozzi added decorative bas-reliefs of the cross and the
Florentine lily The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol. The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...
in the spandrels between the trefoils. The building is crowned with projecting crenellated battlement, supported by small arches and
corbel In architecture, a corbel is a structural piece of stone, wood or metal jutting from a wall to carry a superincumbent weight, a type of bracket. A corbel is a solid piece of material in the wall, whereas a console is a piece applied to the s ...
s. Under the arches are a repeated series of nine painted coats of arms of the Florentine republic. Some of these arches can be used as embrasures (''spiombati'') for dropping heated liquids or rocks on invaders. The solid, massive building is enhanced by the simple tower with its clock. Giovanni Villani wrote that Arnolfo di Cambio incorporated the ancient tower of the Foraboschi family (the tower then known as "La Vacca" or "The Cow") into the new tower's facade as its substructure; this is why the rectangular tower (height 94 m) is not directly centered in the building. This tower contains two small cells, that, at different times, imprisoned Cosimo de' Medici (the Elder) (1435) and Girolamo Savonarola (1498). The tower is named after its designer ''Torre d'Arnolfo''. The tower's large, one-handed clock was originally constructed in 1353 by the Florentine
Nicolò Bernardo Nicolò () is an Italian male given name. Another variation is Niccolò, most common in Tuscany. It may refer to: * Nicolò Albertini, statesman * Nicolò Amati, luthier * Nicolò Barella, Italian footballer * Nicolò Barattieri, Italian engineer ...
, but was replaced in 1667 with a replica made by
Georg Lederle Georg may refer to: * Georg (film), ''Georg'' (film), 1997 *Georg (musical), Estonian musical * Georg (given name) * Georg (surname) * , a Kriegsmarine coastal tanker See also

* George (disambiguation) {{disambiguation ...
from the German town of Augsburg (Italians refer to him as Giorgio Lederle of Augusta) and installed by Vincenzo Viviani. Duke Cosimo I de' Medici (later to become grand duke) moved his official seat from the Medici palazzo in via Larga to the Palazzo della Signoria in May 1540, signalling the security of Medici power in Florence. When Cosimo later removed to Palazzo Pitti, he officially renamed his former palace to the ''Palazzo Vecchio'', the "Old Palace", although the adjacent town square, the ''Piazza della Signoria'', still bears the original name. Cosimo commissioned Giorgio Vasari to build an above-ground walkway, the Vasari corridor, from the Palazzo Vecchio, through the Uffizi, over the Ponte Vecchio to the Palazzo Pitti. Cosimo I also moved the seat of government to the Uffizi. The palace gained new importance as the seat of united Italy's provisional government from 1865 to 1871, at a moment when Florence had become the temporary capital of the Kingdom of Italy. Although most of the Palazzo Vecchio is now a museum, it remains as the symbol and center of local government; since 1872 it has housed the office of the mayor of Florence, and it is the seat of the City Council. The tower currently has three bells; the oldest was cast in the 13th century.


Entrance

Above the front entrance door, there is a notable ornamental marble frontispiece, dating from 1528. In the middle, flanked by two gilded lions, is the
Monogram of Christ A Christogram ( la, Monogramma Christi) is a monogram or combination of letters that forms an abbreviation for the name of Jesus Christ, traditionally used as a religious symbol within the Christian Church. One of the oldest Christograms is the ...
, surrounded by a glory, above the text (''in Latin''): "Rex Regum et Dominus Dominantium" (translation: "King of Kings and Lord of Lords". This text dates from 1851 and does not replace an earlier text by
Savonarola Girolamo Savonarola, OP (, , ; 21 September 1452 – 23 May 1498) or Jerome Savonarola was an Italian Dominican friar from Ferrara and preacher active in Renaissance Florence. He was known for his prophecies of civic glory, the destruction of ...
as mentioned in guidebooks. Between 1529 and 1851 they were concealed behind a large shield with the grand-ducal coat of arms. Michelangelo's David also stood at the entrance from its completion in 1504 to 1873, when it was moved to the
accademia Gallery The Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze, or "Gallery of the Academy of Florence", is an art museum in Florence, Italy. It is best known as the home of Michelangelo's sculpture ''David''. It also has other sculptures by Michelangelo and a large ...
. A replica erected in 1910 now stands in its place, flanked by
Baccio Bandinelli Baccio Bandinelli (also called Bartolommeo Brandini; 12 November 1493 – shortly before 7 February 1560), was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, draughtsman, and painter. Biography Bandinelli was the son of a prominent Florentine goldsmith, ...
's
Hercules and Cacus ''Hercules and Cacus'' is an Italian Renaissance sculpture in marble to the right of the entrance of the Palazzo Vecchio in the Piazza della Signoria, Florence, Italy. It has a complicated and highly political history, but the finished work is b ...
.


Courtyards


First Courtyard

The first courtyard was designed in 1453 by Michelozzo. In the
lunette A lunette (French ''lunette'', "little moon") is a half-moon shaped architectural space, variously filled with sculpture, painted, glazed, filled with recessed masonry, or void. A lunette may also be segmental, and the arch may be an arc take ...
s, high around the courtyard, are crests of the church and city guilds. In the center, the porphyry fountain is by
Battista del Tadda Battista is a given name and surname which means Baptist in Italian. Given named * Battista Agnese (died 1564), cartographer from the Republic of Genoa, who worked in the Venetian Republic * Battista Dossi, also known as Battista de Luteri, Ital ...
. The ''Putto with Dolphin'' on top of the basin is a copy of the original by Andrea del Verrocchio (1476), now on display on the second floor of the palace. This small statue was originally placed in the garden of the
Villa Medici at Careggi The Villa Medici at Careggi is a patrician villa in the hills near Florence, Tuscany, central Italy. History The villa was among the first of a number of Medici villas, notable as the site of the Platonic Academy founded by Cosimo de' Medici, wh ...
. The water, flowing through the nose of the dolphin, is brought here by pipes from the Boboli Gardens. In the
niche Niche may refer to: Science *Developmental niche, a concept for understanding the cultural context of child development *Ecological niche, a term describing the relational position of an organism's species *Niche differentiation, in ecology, the ...
, in front of the fountain, stands ''Samson and Philistine'' by
Pierino da Vinci Pierino da Vinci (; –1553/54), born Pier Francesco di Bartolomeo di Ser Piero da Vinci, was an Italian sculptor, born in the small town of Vinci in Tuscany; he was the nephew of Leonardo da Vinci. The son of Bartolomeo da Vinci, Leonardo’s ...
. The frescoes on the walls are vedute of the cities of the Austrian
Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...
, painted in 1565 by Giorgio Vasari for the wedding celebration of
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 ...
, the eldest son of
Cosimo I de' Medici Cosimo I de' Medici (12 June 1519 – 21 April 1574) was the second Duke of Florence from 1537 until 1569, when he became the first Grand Duke of Tuscany, a title he held until his death. Life Rise to power Cosimo was born in Florence on 12 ...
, to Archduchess Johanna of Austria, sister of the Emperor Maximilian II. Amongst the cities depicted are
Graz Graz (; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562 (294,236 of whom had principal-residence status). In 2018, the popul ...
,
Innsbruck Innsbruck (; bar, Innschbruck, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian ) is the capital of Tyrol (state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the ...
, Linz, Vienna,
Bratislava Bratislava (, also ; ; german: Preßburg/Pressburg ; hu, Pozsony) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Slovakia. Officially, the population of the city is about 475,000; however, it is estimated to be more than 660,000 — approxim ...
(Pozsony), Prague,
Hall in Tirol Hall in Tyrol is a town in the Innsbruck-Land district of Tyrol, Austria. Located at an altitude of 574 m, about 5 km (3 mi) east of the state's capital Innsbruck in the Inn valley, it has a population of about 13,000 (Jan 2013). History ...
,
Freiburg im Breisgau Freiburg im Breisgau (; abbreviated as Freiburg i. Br. or Freiburg i. B.; Low Alemannic German, Low Alemannic: ''Friburg im Brisgau''), commonly referred to as Freiburg, is an independent city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With a population o ...
and Konstanz. Some were damaged over the course of time. The harmoniously proportioned columns, at one time smooth, and untouched, were at the same time richly decorated with gilt stuccoes. The barrel vaults are furnished with grotesque decorations.


Second Courtyard

The second courtyard, also called "The Customs", contains the massive pillars built in 1494 by Cronaca that sustains the great ''"Salone dei Cinquecento"'' on the second floor.


Third Courtyard

The third courtyard was used mainly for offices of the city. Between the first and second courtyard the massive and monumental stairs by Vasari lead up to the ''"Salone dei Cinquecento"''.


Salone dei Cinquecento

The ''Salone dei Cinquecento'' ('Hall of the Five Hundred') is the most imposing chamber, with a length of 52 m (170 ft) and width of 23 m (75 ft). It was built in 1494 by
Simone del Pollaiolo Simone del Pollaiolo (1457–1508) was a Florentine architect who was commonly known as Il Cronaca ("The Chronicle One"). Pollaiolo was born in Florence, the nephew of the better-known brothers Antonio and Piero Benci who had the nickname '' ...
, on commission of Savonarola who, replacing the Medici after their exile as the spiritual leader of the Republic, wanted it as a seat of the Grand Council (''Consiglio Maggiore'') consisting of 500 members. Later the hall was enlarged by Giorgio Vasari so that Grand Duke Cosimo I could hold his court in this chamber. During this transformation, famous (but unfinished) works were lost, including the ''
Battle of Cascina The Battle of Cascina was an engagement between Pisan and Florentine troops on 28 July 1364 near Cascina, modern-day Italy. Florence's victory followed a recent defeat to Pisan forces that had enabled mercenary John Hawkwood, who was in comman ...
'' by
Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (; 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known as Michelangelo (), was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was insp ...
, and the ''
Battle of Anghiari The Battle of Anghiari was fought on 29 June 1440, between the forces of Milan and the League of some Italian states led by the Republic of Florence in the course of the Wars in Lombardy. The battle was a victory for the Florentines, securing F ...
'' by Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo was commissioned in 1503 to paint one long wall with a battle scene celebrating a famous Florentine victory. He was always trying new methods and materials and decided to mix wax into his pigments. Da Vinci had finished painting part of the wall, but it was not drying fast enough, so he brought in braziers stoked with hot coals to try to hurry the process. As others watched in horror, the wax in the fresco melted under the intense heat and the colors ran down the walls to puddle on the floor. A legend exists that Giorgio Vasari, wanting to preserve Da Vinci's work, had a false wall built over the top of ''The Battle of Anghiari'' before painting his fresco. Attempts made to find Da Vinci's original work behind the Vasari fresco have so far been inconclusive. Michelangelo never proceeded beyond the preparatory drawings for the fresco he was commissioned to paint on the opposite wall. Pope Julius II called him to Rome to paint the Sistine Chapel, and the master's sketches were destroyed by eager young artists who came to study them and took away scraps. The surviving decorations in this hall were made between 1555 and 1572 by Giorgio Vasari and his helpers, among them
Livio Agresti Livio Agresti (1508–1580), also called Ritius or Ricciutello, was an Italian painter of the late Renaissance or Mannerist period, active both in his native city of Forlì and in Rome, where he died. He was one of the members of the "Forlì paint ...
from Forlì. They mark the culmination of
mannerism Mannerism, which may also be known as Late Renaissance, is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, ...
and make this hall the showpiece of the palace. File:Battagliadicascina.jpg, Cartoon of the ''Battle of Cascina'' by
Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (; 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known as Michelangelo (), was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was insp ...
, lost fresco West wall Image:Peter Paul Ruben's copy of the lost Battle of Anghiari.jpg, Peter Paul Rubens's copy of Da Vinci's ''
The Battle of Anghiari The Battle of Anghiari was fought on 29 June 1440, between the forces of Milan and the League of some Italian states led by the Republic of Florence in the course of the Wars in Lombardy. The battle was a victory for the Florentines, securing F ...
'' Cartoon File:Leonardo da vinci, Battle of Anghiari (Tavola Doria).jpg, Possible copy of original Da Vinci lost fresco East Wall
File:Firenze - Florence - Palazzo Vecchio - 1st Floor - Salone dei Cinquecento 1494 - View on the West Wall with huge Battle Frescoes by Vasari & Assistants I.jpg, View on the West Wall with huge Battle Frescoes 1494 by Vasari & Assistants II. Site of the never done ''Battle of Cascina" File:Firenze - Florence - Palazzo Vecchio - 1st Floor - Salone dei Cinquecento 1494 - View on the West Wall with huge Battle Frescoes by Vasari & Assistants II.jpg, View on the West Wall with huge Battle Frescoes 1494 by Vasari & Assistants II. Site of the never done ''Battle of Cascina" File:Firenze - Florence - Palazzo Vecchio - 1st Floor - Salone dei Cinquecento 1494 - East Wall - Battle Fresco 1575 by Vasari & Assistants - Statues by Vincenzo de' Rossi.jpg, View on the East Wall - Battle Fresco 1575 by Vasari & Assistants.Site of the ruined "Battle of Anghiari" On the walls are large and expansive frescoes that depict battles and military victories by Florence over
Pisa Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...
and Siena: *''The Taking of Siena'' *''The Conquest of Porto Ercole'' *''The Victory of Cosimo I at Marciano in Val di Chiana'' *''Defeat of the Pisans at the Tower of San Vincenzo'' *''Maximilian of Austria Attempts the Conquest of Leghorn'' *''Pisa Attacked by the Florentine Troops'' The ceiling consists of 39 panels constructed and painted by Vasari and his assistants, representing ''Great Episodes from the life of Cosimo I'', the quarters of the city, and the city itself. Toward the center is the
apotheosis Apotheosis (, ), also called divinization or deification (), is the glorification of a subject to divine levels and, commonly, the treatment of a human being, any other living thing, or an abstract idea in the likeness of a deity. The term has ...
: ''Scene of His Glorification as Grand Duke of Florence and Tuscany''. On the north side of the hall, illuminated by enormous windows, is the raised stage called the ''Udienza'', built by Bartolommeo Bandinelli for Cosimo I as a place to receive citizens and ambassadors. Above are frescoes of historical events; among these, that of Boniface VIII receiving the ambassadors of foreign States and, seeing that were all Florentines, saying: "You Florentines are the quintessence." In the niches are sculptures by Bandinelli: in the center the statue of the seated "Leo X" (sculpted assisted by his student Vincenzo de'Rossi), and on the right a statue of "Charles V crowned by Clement VII". The six statues along the walls that represent the "Labors of Hercules" are by de' Rossi. In the central niche at the south of the Hall is Michelangelo's noted marble group '' The Genius of Victory'' (1533–1534), originally intended for the tomb of Julius II. The statue was placed in this hall by Vasari. In 1868 it was removed to the
Bargello Museum The Bargello, also known as the Palazzo del Bargello, Museo Nazionale del Bargello, or Palazzo del Popolo (Palace of the People), was a former barracks and prison, now an art museum, in Florence, Italy. Terminology The word ''bargello'' appears ...
, but was returned in 1921 by officials.


Studiolo of Francesco I

At the end of the hall is a small side room without windows. The
studiolo A cabinet (also known by other terms) was a private room in the houses and palaces of early modern Europe serving as a study or retreat, usually for a man. The cabinet would be furnished with books and works of art, and sited adjacent to his ...
was a small secret study designed by Vasari in a manneristic style (1570–1575). The walls and the barrel vault are filled with paintings, stucco and sculptures. Most paintings are by the School of Vasari and represent the four elements: fire, water, earth, and air. The portrait of Cosimo I and his wife
Eleonora of Toledo Eleanor of Toledo (Italian: ''Eleonora di Toledo'', 11 January 1522 – 17 December 1562), born Doña Leonor Álvarez de Toledo y Osorio, was a Spanish noblewoman and Duchess of Florence as the first wife of Cosimo I de' Medici. A keen businessw ...
was painted by
Bronzino Agnolo di Cosimo (; 17 November 150323 November 1572), usually known as Bronzino ( it, Il Bronzino ) or Agnolo Bronzino, was an Italian Mannerist painter from Florence. His sobriquet, ''Bronzino'', may refer to his relatively dark skin or reddis ...
. The delicate bronze sculptures were made by
Giambologna Giambologna (1529 – 13 August 1608), also known as Jean de Boulogne (French), Jehan Boulongne (Flemish) and Giovanni da Bologna (Italian), was the last significant Italian Renaissance sculptor, with a large workshop producing large and small ...
and
Bartolomeo Ammanati Bartolomeo Ammannati (18 June 151113 April 1592) was an Italian architect and sculptor, born at Settignano, near Florence. He studied under Baccio Bandinelli and Jacopo Sansovino (assisting on the design of the Library of St. Mark's, the ''Bibli ...
. From a peep-hole, Francesco spied on his ministers and officers during meetings in the Salone dei Cinquecento. Dismantled within decades of its construction, it was re-assembled in the 20th century. The other rooms on the first floor are the ''Quartieri monumentali''. These rooms, the Residence of the Priors and the Quarters of Leo X, are used by the mayor as offices and reception rooms. They are not accessible to the public.


Second Floor

A staircase designed by Vasari leads to the second floor. This floor contains the Apartments of the Elements, Priori, and Eleonora of Toledo.


Apartments of the Elements

These apartments (''Sala degli Elementi'') consist of five rooms (such as the Room of Ceres) and two loggias. The commission for these rooms was originally given by Cosimo I to
Giovanni Battista del Tasso Giovanni Battista del Tasso (1500–1555) was an Italian architect and sculptor. 1500 births 1555 deaths Sculptors from Florence Italian male sculptors Architects from Florence {{Italy-sculptor-stub ...
. But on his death, the decorations were continued by Vasari and his helpers, working for the first time for the Medicis. These rooms were the private quarters of Cosimo I.


Room of the Elements

The walls in the Room of the Elements are filled with allegorical frescoes ''Allegories of Water, Fire and Earth'' and, on the ceiling, represents ''Saturn''. The original statue "Boy with a Fish" by Verrocchio is on exhibit in one of the smaller rooms (the copy stands on the fountain in the first courtyard).


Terrace of Saturn

Named for the fresco on the ceiling. Has a fabulous view of Florence. There is a southeastern view to
Piazzale Michelangelo Piazzale Michelangelo (Michelangelo Square) is a square with a panoramic view of Florence, Italy, located in the Oltrarno district of the city. History This Florentine piazza was designed by architect Giuseppe Poggi and built in 1869 on a hil ...
and the Fortress Belvedere. Also visible are the remains of the
Church of San Piero Scheraggio Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chris ...
.


The Hercules Room

This room (the Sala di Ercole) gets its name from the subject of the paintings on the ceiling. Also the tapestries show stories of Hercules. The room contains a ''Madonna and Child'' and an ebony cabinet called a ''stipo'' inlaid with semi-precious stones.


The Lion House

Cosimo the Elder Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici (27 September 1389 – 1 August 1464) was an Italian banker and politician who established the House of Medici, Medici family as effective rulers of Florence during much of the Italian Renaissance. His power derived ...
kept a menagerie of lions in a dedicated lion house in the palazzo. He often fought them or baited them against other animals in large festivals for visiting Popes or dignitaries.


The Room of Jupiter

The room is named for the fresco on the ceiling. On the walls are Florentine tapestries made from cartoons by Stradanus (16th century).


The Room of Cybele

On the ceiling, the ''Triumph of Cybele'' and the ''Four Seasons''. Against the walls are cabinets in tortoise shell and bronze. The floor was made in 1556. From the window one can see the third courtyard.


The Ceres Room

The room gets its name from the motif on the ceiling, by
Doceno Cristofano or Cristoforo Gherardi, also known as il Doceno, (November 25, 1508 – April 1556) was an Italian painter of the late-Renaissance or Mannerist period, active mainly in Florence and Tuscany. Biography He was born in Borgo San Sepolcr ...
, a pupil of Vasari. On the walls are Florentine tapestries with hunting scenes, from cartoons by Stradanus.


Apartments of Eleonora of Toledo

Beginning in 1540 when Cosimo moved the seat of government here, these rooms were refurbished and richly decorated to be the living quarters of Eleonora.


Sala Verde

This room served as Eleonora's bedchamber and was called the Green Room because of the color of the walls. The decorations on the ceiling are by Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio. A small door in the room indicates the beginning of the Vasari corridor, a passageway to the Palazzo Pitti built by Vasari for Cosimo I.


Cappella di Eleonora

The small, richly decorated chapel adjoining the Sala Verde is painted in fresco by the mannerist
Angelo Bronzino Agnolo di Cosimo (; 17 November 150323 November 1572), usually known as Bronzino ( it, Il Bronzino ) or Agnolo Bronzino, was an Italian Mannerist painter from Florence. His sobriquet, ''Bronzino'', may refer to his relatively dark skin or reddis ...
and includes some of his masterpieces including the Crossing the Red Sea. It was built by Tasso to be Eleonora's private chapel.


The Room of the Sabines

It was named because of the ceiling decoration. At one time it was used for the Ladies-in-waiting at the court of Eleonora di Toledo. It contains ''Portraits of Medici Princes'' by Sustermans, statues by a Florentine art school and a tapestry by Fevère.


Dining Room

On the ceiling is the ''Coronation of Esther'' decorated by Stradanus, with an inscription in honor of Eleonora di Toledo. The room contains a lavabo and two tapestries by
Van Assel A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and bigger than a common car. There is some varying in the scope of the word across th ...
representing ''Spring and Autumn''.


The Room of Penelope

On the ceiling ''Penelope at the loom'', in the frieze, ''episodes from the Odyssey''. On the walls: ''Madonna and Child'' and a ''Madonna and Child with St. John'' by
Botticelli Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi ( – May 17, 1510), known as Sandro Botticelli (, ), was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. Botticelli's posthumous reputation suffered until the late 19th century, when he was rediscovered ...
.


The Room of Gualdrada

This room is dedicated to Virtue as personified by
Gualdrada Gualdrada Berti dei Ravignani (Florence, c. 1168 - Poppi, 1226) was a member of the Ghibelline nobility of twelfth-century Florence, Italy. A descendant of the Ravignani family and daughter of the powerful Bellincione Berti, Gualdrada later marri ...
. The ceiling painting of Gualdrado is by the Flemish painter Stradanus, better known under his Italian name Stradanus. Against the wall is a cabinet with Florentine mosaic designs.


Apartments of the Priori

These rooms were used by the ''priori'' (priors) representing the guilds of Florence.


Sala dell'Udienza

The Audience Chamber or Hall of Justice used to house the meetings of the priors. It contains the oldest decorations in the palace. The carved coffer ceiling, laminated with pure gold, is by Giuliano da Maiano (1470–1476). On the portal to the Chapel of the Signoria is an inscription in honor of Christ (1529). The doorway to the Hall of Lilies has marble mouldings sculpted by the brothers Giuliano and Benedetto da Maiano. The inlaid woodwork ( intarsia) on the doors was carved by
Del Francione Del, or nabla, is an operator used in mathematics (particularly in vector calculus) as a vector differential operator, usually represented by the nabla symbol ∇. When applied to a function defined on a one-dimensional domain, it denotes th ...
and depicts portraits of Dante and Petrarch. The large frescoes on the walls portraying the ''Stories of Furius Camillus'' by
Francesco Salviati Francesco Salviati may refer to: * Francesco Salviati (bishop) Francesco Salviati Riario was the archbishop of Pisa_in_1474_and_one_of_the_organisers_of_the_717,_Pisan_and_on_31_July_1725_ 726,_Pisan A_special_assembly_(''conventus'')_was_held_i ...
were made in the middle of the 16th century. Since Salviati had his schooling in the circle around Raphael in Rome, these frescoes are based on Roman models and not typical of Florentine art. Marcus Furius Camillus was a Roman general mentioned in the writings of Plutarch.


Chapel of the Signoria

A small doorway leads into the adjoining small chapel dedicated to Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Bernard, containing a reliquary of the Saint. Here the priors used to supply divine aid in the execution of their duties. In this chapel, Girolamo Savonarola said his last prayers before he was hanged on the Piazza della Signoria and his body burned. The frescoes on the walls and ceiling, on a background imitating gold mosaic, are by Ridolfo Ghirlandaio. Of particular interest are ''The Holy Trinity'' on the ceiling and ''The Annunciation'' on the wall facing the altar. On the altar was a painting representing the ''Holy Family'' by Mariano Graziadei da Pescia, a pupil of Ridolfo Ghirlandaio. It is now on exhibition in the corridor of the Uffizi Gallery. Instead, there is a good painting of St. Bernard by an unknown artist.


Sala dei Gigli

The carved ceiling of the Hall of the Lilies, as this room is usually called, decorated with ''fleur-de-lys'', and the ''Statue of St. John the Baptist and Putti'' are all by Benedetto da Maiano and his brother Giuliano. The golden fleur-de-lys decorations on blue background on the ceiling and three walls refer to the (short-lived) good relations between Florence and the French Crown. On the wall are frescoes by
Domenico Ghirlandaio Domenico di Tommaso Curradi di Doffo Bigordi (, , ; 2 June 1448 – 11 January 1494), professionally known as Domenico Ghirlandaio, also spelled as Ghirlandajo, was an Italian Renaissance painter born in Florence. Ghirlandaio was part of ...
, painted in 1482. The apotheosis of
St. Zenobius Saint Zenobius ( it, San Zanobi, Zenobio) (337–417) is venerated as the first bishop of Florence. His feast day is celebrated on May 25. Life Born of a Florentine noble family, Zenobius was educated by his pagan parents. He came under the ...
, first patron saint of Florence, was painted with a perspectival illusion of the background. In this background one can see the cathedral, with Giotto's original facade and bell tower. In the
lunette A lunette (French ''lunette'', "little moon") is a half-moon shaped architectural space, variously filled with sculpture, painted, glazed, filled with recessed masonry, or void. A lunette may also be segmental, and the arch may be an arc take ...
above is a bas-relief of the Madonna and Child. This fresco is flanked on both sides by frescoes of famed Romans: on the left ''Brutus, Gaius Mucius Scaevola and Camillus'', and on the right ''Decius, Scipio and Cicero''. Medaillons of Roman emperors fill the
spandril A spandrel is a roughly triangular space, usually found in pairs, between the top of an arch and a rectangular frame; between the tops of two adjacent arches or one of the four spaces between a circle within a square. They are frequently fil ...
s between the sections. After its lengthy restoration, the (original) statue " Judith and Holofernes" by Donatello was given a prominent place in this room in 1988. A door in the east wall leads to the ''Stanza della Guardaroba'' (Hall of Geographical Maps). This door is flanked by two dark marble pillars, originally from a Roman temple.


Stanza delle Mappe geografiche o Stanza della Guardaroba

The Hall of Geographical Maps or ''Guardaroba'' was an ambitious room that set out to represent the known world of the 16th century through the display of a collection of artifacts and murals of cartography, all seen in relation to scientific instruments of time and astronomy. For various reasons, it was not seen to completion, yet the accounts of Giorgio Vasari, the room's designer, detail the proposed purpose and visualisation of the space. The Guardaroba was commissioned by Cosimo I de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany during his major reconstruction of the interior of the Palazzo. Construction of the ''guardaroba'' began in 1563. The idea behind the guardaroba is similar to that of late medieval studioli, which were small private study spaces, containing precious collected artifacts. Many courtly residences possessed similar spaces to the ''guardaroba'', yet the guardaroba of Palazzo della Signoria is one of the earliest examples that integrates cartography into its decorative elements. ''Guardaroba'' best translates to a type of storage space, or ‘wardrobe’ and its purpose was to house a collection; an early ''wunderkammer'' of sorts. Evidently, collections of artifacts and precious items existed before the Renaissance, yet it is not until the Renaissance that there consistently appeared collections which were preserved and interpreted, known as wunderkammen. Vasari's account of the program for the guardaroba highlights Cosimo I's instructions to create a space for some of the more precious items in the Medici collection. He had also instructed Vasari to design the space so it was fit for visitors, ultimately becoming a semi-public gallery space. Master carpenter Dionigi di Matteo Nigetti (active Florence 1565–79) constructed the finely crafted and carved walnut cabinets and ceiling panels that can still all be found in the room today. Each of the doors was to be decorated with an up-to-date map of a particular region. Vasari called the map murals, Tables of Ptolemy, recognising Claudius Ptolemaeus (AD b.127-d.145) significant contributions to the history and progress of cartography. The responsibility of painting the Tables of Ptolemy was entrusted to renowned cosmographer
Egnazio Danti Ignazio (Egnation or Egnazio) Danti, O.P. (April 1536 – 10 October 1586), born Pellegrino Rainaldi Danti, was an Italian Roman Catholic prelate, mathematician, astronomer, and cosmographer, who served as Bishop of Alatri (1583–1586). ''(in ...
, who was later responsible for the maps in the Vatican Galleria, Hall of Maps. Each map mural, of which there were to be 57 in total, was painted directly onto the cabinet doors, 53 of these Murals remain today. The regions depicted in the map would correspond to a collection of objects and artifacts within that cabinet. The map murals were arranged across the cabinet doors in two horizontal rows representing the hemispheres and navigated most of the perimeter of the room, only interrupted at the doorway and window. A layout of maps in this fashion came to be known as a ‘map cycle’, a term Cosimo I's guardaroba likely initiated. The may cycle is divided into sections of the then known four continents, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. The ''guardaroba'' was one of the more unusual projects commissioned by Cosimo I and therefore, Vasari wrote concisely on its programme and its progress. “''Over the doors of those cupboards within their ornaments, Fra Egnazio has distributed fifty seven pictures about two braccia high and wide in proportion, in which are painted in oils on the wood with the greatest diligence, after the manner of miniatures, the Tables of Ptolemy, all measured with perfect accuracy and corrected after the most recent authorities, with exact charts of navigation and their scales for measuring and degrees, done with supreme diligence; and with these are all the names both ancient and modern...The images of plants and animals are exactly in line with the maps...The terrestrial globe is marked distinctly and it is possible to use it for all the operations of the astrolabe perfectly''” - Giorgio Vasari -
Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects ''The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects'' ( it, Le vite de' più eccellenti pittori, scultori, e architettori), often simply known as ''The Lives'' ( it, Le Vite), is a series of artist biographies written by 16th-ce ...
As well as the maps on the cabinets, other images adorned the room. Up to 300 portraits of famous people of the day hung around highest perimeters of the walls and would be revealed from beneath green cloth curtains. In between the cabinets doors, were to be mounted natural history drawings of flora and fauna that, as Vasari indicated above, would have been in line with its corresponding regions on the maps in a similar fashion to the objects that are revealed from beneath their corresponding region. The collected artifacts were arranged and maintained by curators and conservators known as guardarobiere, in a similar manner to the role of the contemporary museum. The rarer an item, the more attractive it was to the collector and desired for the collection. Objects from the Americas or New World as it was then referred to, were particularly valuable at this time as Italians were not allowed to travel there without permission from Spain or Portugal. Instead, they explored this region vicariously through objects and the Medici possessed a significant collection of artifacts from the Americas, largely collecting featherwork. Vasari intended the worldly representation in the ''guardaroba'' to be seen in relation to the larger cosmos, represented by a celestial sphere in the centre of the room and painted constellations on the ceiling. He also had grand visions of two large globes, a terrestrial and celestial hidden behind a false ceiling that could be lowered impressively via a pulley system into the room below. The room was also to display a copy of the 1484 clock made for Lorenzo de Medici by
Lorenzo della Volpaia Lorenzo may refer to: People * Lorenzo (name) Places Peru * San Lorenzo Island (Peru), sometimes referred to as the island of Lorenzo United States * Lorenzo, Illinois * Lorenzo, Texas * San Lorenzo, California, formerly Lorenzo * Lorenzo State ...
. An Antonio Santucci (b.? d.1613) armillary sphere that is now at the Florence Museum of the History of Science, was also displayed in the ''guardaroba'' along with a second, earlier armillary sphere that is now lost. It is the relationships between these objects and maps and the context for which they are shown that produces intended symbolic gestures; the clock, in relation to the maps, in relation to the celestial representations were an attempt to generate an effect of possessed knowledge over all space and time and in the case of the guardaroba, Cosimo I de Medici was to be seen as the possessor and purveyor of this knowledge, generating a narrative of his power. A digital reconstruction of the room, as it was designed and described by Giorgio Vasari can be foun
here


Old Chancellery

This was Machiavelli's office when he was Secretary of the Republic. His polychrome bust in terracotta and his portrait are by Santi di Tito. They are probably modelled on his death mask. In the center of the room, on the pedestal is the famous ''Winged Boy with a Dolphin'' by Verrocchio, brought to this room from the First Courtyard.


Mezzanine

Located in between the first and second floors, these rooms are occupied by Renaissance and Medieval objects given in a bequest by Charles Loeser, an American expat collector and scholar. This collection is one of the most valuable municipal collections for its artistic and historical value. The rooms are located in the old palace, and were renovated in the mid-15th century by
Michelozzo Michelozzo di Bartolomeo Michelozzi (1396 – 7 October 1472) was an Italian architect and sculptor. Considered one of the great pioneers of architecture during the Renaissance, Michelozzo was a favored Medici architect who was extensively empl ...
. It is the only part of the palace where the original 14th- and 15th-century ceilings are still entirely visible. Cosimo I's mother
Maria Salviati Maria Salviati (17 July 1499 – 29 December 1543) was a Florentine noblewoman, the daughter of Lucrezia di Lorenzo de' Medici and Jacopo Salviati. She married Giovanni delle Bande Nere and was the mother of Cosimo I de Medici. Her husband d ...
lived in these rooms after Cosimo moved the family from
Palazzo Medici The Palazzo Medici, also called the Palazzo Medici Riccardi after the later family that acquired and expanded it, is a Renaissance palace located in Florence, Italy. It is the seat of the Metropolitan City of Florence and a museum. Overview T ...
to the Palazzo Vecchio (at that point Palazzo Ducale). The first room holds a ''Madonna con Bambino e san Giovannino'', from the school of Lorenzo di Credi, a ''Madonna col Bambino'' in stucco painted in the Florentine school in the 15th century, a ''Madonna in Adoration by Christ with Saint Giovannino'' by
Jacopo del Sellaio Jacopo del Sellaio (1441/42–1493), was an Italian painter of the early Renaissance, active in his native Florence. His real name was Jacopo di Arcangelo. He worked in an eclectic style based on those of Botticelli, Filippino Lippi, and Domenic ...
, a ''Madonna and Child'' attributed to Master of the Griggs Crucifix (15th century), and a ''Madonna Enthroned'' by the Tuscan school of the 14th century. Above the stone steps is a little room that was for a time a studiolo for Cosimo I. The window looks out over Piazza della Signoria and the room is decorated with birds, animals, fishes, and vegetal elements works by Bachiacca. The dining room holds one of the most famous works of the Loeser Collection, ''The Portrait of Laura Battiferri'' (wife of Bartolomeo Ammannati), by famous Renaissance painter
Bronzino Agnolo di Cosimo (; 17 November 150323 November 1572), usually known as Bronzino ( it, Il Bronzino ) or Agnolo Bronzino, was an Italian Mannerist painter from Florence. His sobriquet, ''Bronzino'', may refer to his relatively dark skin or reddis ...
around 1555. Adjacent is another Mannerist work, ''The Portrait of Ludovico Martelli'', by a follower of Pontormo, possibly
Michele Tosini Michele Tosini, also called ''Michele di Ridolfo'', (1503–1577) was an Italian painter of the Renaissance and Mannerist period, who worked in Florence. Biography He apprenticed initially with Lorenzo di Credi and Antonio del Ceraiolo, but then ...
. There is also a small sketch on fresco, ''Battle of the Knights'' for Vasari's ''Defeat of the Pisans at the Tower of Saint Vincent'', by a student Giovan Francesco Naldini, which used to be displayed on the balcony above the Salone dei Cinquecento by Vasari's complementary monumental work. By the fireplace are two Romanesque sculptures, a capital with an eagle (first half of the 13th century) and a Coronation Head (first half of 12th century). In the corner room, three Madonna and Children paintings are on display. The first, ''Madonna and Child'' is by the Master of Saints Flora and Lucilla, from the 14th century. The second, ''Madonna and Child with Saint Little Saint John'' is a later Renaissance work by Spanish artist
Alonso Berruguete Alonso González de Berruguete (Alonso Berruguete) (c. 1488 – 1561) was a Spanish painter, sculptor and architect. He is considered to be the most important sculptor of the Spanish Renaissance, and is known for his emotive sculptures depict ...
from 1514 to 1518, and the third is ''Madonna and Child'' by prominent Sienese artist Pietro Lorenzetti. This room also holds ''Adoring Angel'' by
Tino di Camaino 300px, Tomb of Antonio d'Orso, in Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence.">Florence.html" ;"title="Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence">Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence. Tino di Camaino (c. 1280 – c. 1337) was an Italian sculptor. Born in Siena, the s ...
from around 1321, a ''Bust of Saint Antonino'' in painted plaster from the 15th century, and an embroidery designed by
Raffaellino del Garbo Raffaellino del Garbo (1466 – 1527) was a Florentine painter of the early Renaissance. Biography His real name was Raffaello di Bartolomeo dei Carli. He was also known as Raffaello Capponi after his adoptive family. The appellation "del Garb ...
.


See also

* Italian Gothic architecture * Eagle Warehouse & Storage Company, a
Richardsonian Romanesque Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after the American architect Henry Hobson Richardson (1838–1886). The revival style incorporates 11th and 12th century southern French, Spanish, and Italian Romanesque ...
warehouse in Brooklyn, New York which has been likened to the Palazzo Vecchio. *
Emerson Bromo-Seltzer Tower The Emerson Tower (often called the Emerson Bromo-Seltzer Tower or the Bromo Tower) is a 15-story, clock tower erected in 1907–1911 at 21 South Eutaw Street, at the northeast corner of Eutaw and West Lombard Streets in downtown Baltimore, Mar ...
in
Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
, 1911, patterned after the Palazzo Vecchio *
City Hall (Chicopee, Massachusetts) City Hall is a historic city hall in Chicopee, Massachusetts. Located in the heart of Chicopee at Market Square, the building (built 1871) is in the Italianate style, with a rose window (usually associated with churches) and a tower modeled on ...
, 1871, inspired by the Palazzo Vecchio *
Bradford City Hall Bradford City Hall is a 19th-century town hall in Centenary Square, Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It is a Grade I listed building which has a distinctive clock tower. History Before its relocation, between 1847 and 1873, the town hall ...
, 1873, clock and bell tower based on the Palazzo Vecchio * Palazzo Pubblico, the city hall of San Marino, 1884, likened to the Palazzo *The Hydraulic Tower in Birkenhead Docks, Wirral is a replica of the Palazzo and designed by Jesse Hartley who also designed the
Albert Dock Albert Dock may refer to: *Albert Dock, Hull, in Kingston upon Hull, England *Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, a dock and warehouse system in Liverpool, England *Royal Albert Dock, London The Royal Albert Dock is one of three docks in the Royal ...
in Liverpool


Notes


References

*Bartlett, Kenneth R. (1992). ''The Civilization of the Italian Renaissance''. Toronto: D.C. Heath and Company. (Paperback). *The Monogram of Christ at the entrance
Florence Art Guide


External links


Palazzo Vecchio – Musei civici fiorentiniAssociation Mus.e – proposes guided tours and workshops for familiesPalazzo Vecchio
within
Google Arts & Culture Google Arts & Culture (formerly Google Art Project) is an online platform of high-resolution images and videos of artworks and cultural artifacts from partner cultural organizations throughout the world. It utilizes high-resolution image technol ...
* {{Authority control Art museums and galleries in Florence City and town halls in Italy Vecchio 13th century in the Republic of Florence 13th-century establishments in Italy Buildings and structures completed in the 13th century Gothic architecture in Florence Medieval Italian architecture Medici residences