Via de' Tornabuoni, or Via Tornabuoni, is a street at the center of

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

, Italy, that goes from Antinori square to Ponte Santa Trinita, across Santa Trinita square, distinguished by the presence of fashion boutiques. The street houses high fashion boutiques, belonging to designer brands such as

Gucci Guccio Gucci S.p.A., doing business as Gucci ( , ), is an Italian Luxury goods, luxury fashion house based in Florence. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and ...

, Salvatore Ferragamo, Enrico Coveri, Roberto Cavalli,

Emilio Pucci Emilio Pucci, Marchese di Barsento (; 20 November 1914 – 29 November 1992) was an Italian Marquess, aristocrat, fashion designer and politician. He and his eponymous company Pucci designed geometric prints in many colors. Early life Pucci wa ...

and others; also boutiques of

jewelry Jewellery (or jewelry in American English) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment such as brooches, ring (jewellery), rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the ...

are here such as

Damiani Damiani is a surname, of Italian origin. Notable people with the surname include: *Victor Damiani (born 1970), American bassist * Chip Damiani (1945–2014), American drummer * Damiano Damiani (1922–2013), Italian screenwriter and film director ...

, Bulgari and Buccellati.

History

The road was once crossed by the city's Roman walls; in the early

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

, it ran along the Mugnone River. Near the current Palazzo Strozzi was the Brancazio Gate. With the 12th century enlargement of the walls, the stream was diverted and the road widened. At the time, it had different names, including ''Via Larga dei Legnaiuoli'' and ''Via dei Belli Sporti''. After the creation of the

Grand Duchy of Tuscany The Grand Duchy of Tuscany (; ) was an Italian monarchy located in Central Italy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1860, replacing the Republic of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence. In the 19th century the population ...

in the 16th century, via de' Tornabuoni was the seat of the processions from

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 ...

to via Maggio and Ponte Santa Trinita, as well as '' pallone col bracciale'' matches, '' calcio storico fiorentino'' games and horse races. In 1565 it received a porphyry column which still characterizes it. Via de' Tornabuoni once housed the Casoni Cafè, where, in 1920, the Negroni cocktail was invented by Camillo Negroni.

Buildings

Historical buildings on Via Tornabuoni include: East side starting from Arno: * Palazzo Spini Feroni, 14th century, site of Salvatore Ferragamo Museum * Palazzo Minerbetti on Santa Trinita square, 14th century * Palazzo Buondelmonti (in Santa Trinita square), 15th century * Palazzo Bartolini Salimbeni (in Santa Trinita square), designed by Baccio d'Agnolo and built in 1517–1520 in late-Renaissance style * Palazzo Medici Tornaquinci, 15th century * Palazzo Altoviti Sangalletti, it was the host of Caffé Doney since 19th century * Palazzo Gherardi Uguccioni or ''Alamanni'' * Palazzo Strozzi (1489–1534) * Palazzo Tornabuoni, a large palace built in the 16th century West side starting from Arno: Via de Tornabuoni 02

* One of the palazzi dei Gianfigliazzi, Lungarno Corsini corner * Torre dei Gianfigliazzi, 13th century * Basilica di Santa Trinita * Palazzo Minerbetti * Palazzo Strozzi del Poeta (or ''Giaconi'') * Palazzo del Circolo dell'Unione (or ''Corsi'' and ''della Commenda da Castiglione''), built in 1559 under design by

Vasari Giorgio Vasari (30 July 1511 – 27 June 1574) was an Italian Renaissance painter, architect, art historian, and biographer who is best known for his work '' Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects'', considered the ide ...

* Palazzo Dudley * Palazzo Viviani della Robbia, by Giovan Battista Foggini * Palazzetto Tornabuoni * Palazzo Larderel, or ''Palazzo Giacomini'', by Giovanni Dosio In ''Piazza degli Antinori'' ("Antinori square"), adjacent to the northern terminus of Via Tornabuoni, are the following buildings: * Palazzo Antinori, built between 1461 and 1469, and designed by Giuliano da Maiano * ''Chiesa dei Santi Michele e Gaetano'' (Church of Saints Michael and Gaetano), a masterpiece of Florentine Baroque architecture (a much more detailed presentation of this church, including photographs, is available on an Italian language Wikipedia page titled Chiesa dei Santi Michele e Gaetano).

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tornabuoni, Via Streets in Florence Shopping districts and streets in Italy