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58-749: The 14th-century Palazzo Vecchio is still preeminent with its crenellated tower. The square is also shared with the Loggia della Signoria , the Uffizi Gallery , the Palace of the Tribunale della Mercanzia (1359) (now the Bureau of Agriculture), and the Palazzo Uguccioni (1550, with a facade attributed to Raphael , who however died thirty years before its construction). Located in front of

116-560: A common accompaniment to the outdoor sermons of San Bernardino di Siena in the first half of the 15th century. Fra Girolamo Savonarola was a Dominican friar who was assigned to work in Florence in 1490 at the request of Lorenzo de' Medici – although within a few years, Savonarola became one of the foremost enemies of the House of Medici and helped bring about their downfall in 1494. Savonarola campaigned against what he considered to be

174-652: 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 . A replica erected in 1910 now stands in its place, flanked by Baccio Bandinelli 's Hercules and Cacus . The statuary present at the entrance of the Palazzo Vecchio is a testament to the fluctuating political atmosphere in Florence from 1504 to 1534, when Michelangelo's David and Bandinelli's Hercules and Cacus were created, respectively. The statuary in front of this political building

232-424: A public nickname that was initially intended as an insult. Savonarola's influence did not go unnoticed by the higher church officials, however, and his actions came to the attention of Pope Alexander VI . He was excommunicated on 13 May 1497. He was charged with heresy and sedition at the command of Pope Alexander VI. Savonarola was executed by hanging on 23 May 1498, and his body was burnt. His death occurred in

290-510: A pupil of Vasari. On the walls are Florentine tapestries with hunting scenes, from cartoons by Stradanus. 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. 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

348-639: Is based on the sermon Savonarola delivered on Christmas Eve , 1493. Writing several centuries later, in 1851, Orestes Brownson , an apologist for Savonarola, vaguely mentions artworks by Fra Bartolomeo , Lorenzo di Credi , and "many other painters", along with "several antique statues" being burnt in the bonfire. The event has been represented or mentioned in varying degrees of detail in several works of historical fiction, including George Eliot 's Romola (1863), E. R. Eddison 's A Fish Dinner in Memison (1941), Irving Stone 's The Agony and

406-516: Is named for the fresco on the ceiling. On the walls are Florentine tapestries made from cartoons by Stradanus (16th century). 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 room gets its name from the motif on the ceiling, by Doceno ,

464-667: Is one of the most significant private places in Italy, and it hosts cultural points and museums. Originally called the Palazzo della Signoria , after the Signoria of Florence , the ruling body of the Republic of Florence , it was also given 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

522-525: Is the town hall of Florence , Italy. It overlooks the Piazza della Signoria , which holds a copy of Michelangelo '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

580-424: Is the historical cafè Rivoire . Other palaces are the palazzo dei Buonaguisi and the palazzo dell'Arte dei Mercatanti . Various imposing statues ring this square including: The piazza was already a central square in the original Roman town Florentia, surrounded by a theatre, Roman baths and a workshop for dyeing textiles. Later there was a church San Romolo, a loggia and an enormous 5th-century basilica. This

638-421: Is the largest hall in Italy by volume. However, Padova’s Palazzo della Ragione is 81,5 m long, 27 m wide and 24 m high. Even though Salone dei Cinquecento with its flat ceiling is close to parallelepiped and Palazzo della Ragione ’s hall with open roof is not, the latter's bounding box at 52 800 cubic m is 145% bigger than the 21 500 cubic m of Salone di Cinquecento (and likely to be larger even accounting for

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696-888: 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

754-506: The Battle of Cascina by Michelangelo , and the Battle of Anghiari 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

812-529: The "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) width of 23 m (75 ft), and height of 18 m (59 ft). Another source: https://www.persee.fr/doc/mefr_1123-9891_2003_num_115_1_9979 page 54 footnote 6 specifies the measurements as width 22,15 m, length 51,61 m along east wall but 53,47 m along west wall The Salone dei Cinquecento

870-565: The Palazzo Vecchio is the Palace of the Assicurazioni Generali (1871, built in Renaissance style). The Palazzo Vecchio ("Old Palace") is the town hall of the city. This massive, Romanesque , crenellated fortress-palace is among the most impressive town halls of Tuscany . Overlooking the square with its copy of Michelangelo 's David statue as well the gallery of statues in the adjacent Loggia dei Lanzi , it

928-487: The Piazza della Signoria , as well as those of Piazza del Duomo , Via Tornabuoni , and Piazza Pitti , are entirely reserved for pedestrian use. An exception is made for fire trucks , ambulances , and local taxis . In March 2023, an American tourist drove his red, Swiss-registered Ferrari in Piazza della Signoria and received a fine of $ 500. Palazzo Vecchio The Palazzo Vecchio ( Italian pronunciation: [paˈlattso ˈvɛkkjo] "Old Palace")

986-506: The Piazza della Signoria , where he had previously held his bonfires of the vanities. Then the papal authorities gave word that anyone in possession of the friar's writings had four days to turn them over to a papal agent for destruction. Anyone who did not comply also faced excommunication. Although some later sources reported that the Florentine artist Sandro Botticelli burned several of his paintings based on classical mythology in

1044-535: 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 from Forlì . They mark the culmination of mannerism and make this hall the showpiece of the palace. It has been stated that the Salone dei Cinquecento

1102-475: The Uffizi gallery . Built for Giovanni Uguccioni since 1550, its design has been variously attributed to Raphael , Michelangelo , Bartolomeo Ammannati or Raffaello da Montelupo . The Palazzo delle Assicurazioni Generali was designed in the Neo-Renaissance style in 1871, and is one of the very few purpose-built commercial buildings in the centre of the city. On the ground floor of this palace

1160-605: The priori (priors) representing the guilds of Florence . 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

1218-550: The Ecstasy (1961), Chelsea Quinn Yarbro 's The Palace (1978), Michael Ondaatje 's The English Patient (1992), Roger Zelazny and Robert Sheckley 's If at Faust You Don't Succeed (1993), Timothy Findley 's Pilgrim (1999), Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason's Rule of Four (2004), Jeanne Kalogridis 's I, Mona Lisa (2006), Traci L. Slatton 's The Botticelli Affair (2013), and Jodi Taylor 's No Time Like

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1276-813: The Florentine Nicolò Bernardo , but was replaced in 1667 with a replica made by Georg Lederle 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

1334-553: The Loggia is in stark contrast with the severe architecture of the Palazzo Vecchio . It is effectively an open-air sculpture gallery of antique and Renaissance art including the Medici lions . The Tribunale della Mercanzia (Tribunal of Merchandise) is a building where in the past lawyers judged in the trial between merchants. Here was a porch painted by Taddeo Gaddi , Antonio del Pollaiuolo and Sandro Botticelli , today stored in

1392-608: The Medici duke's residence was moved across the Arno to the Palazzo Pitti . The Loggia dei Lanzi consists of wide arches open to the street, three bays wide and one bay deep. The arches rest on clustered columns with Corinthian capitals. The wide arches appealed so much to the Florentines, that Michelangelo even proposed that they should be continued all around the Piazza della Signoria . The vivacious construction of

1450-591: The Room of Ceres) and two loggias . The commission for these rooms was originally given by Cosimo I to Giovanni Battista del Tasso . 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. The walls in the Room of the Elements are filled with allegorical frescoes Allegories of Water, Fire and Earth and, on

1508-522: 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 was painted by Bronzino . The delicate bronze sculptures were made by Giambologna and Bartolomeo Ammanati . 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

1566-529: The Vanities A bonfire of the vanities ( Italian : falò delle vanità ) is a burning of objects condemned by religious authorities as occasions of sin . The phrase itself usually refers to the bonfire of 7 February 1497, when supporters of the Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola collected and burned thousands of objects such as cosmetics, art, and books in the public square of Florence , Italy, on

1624-499: 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

1682-583: 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 that the Uberti were "rebels of Florence and Ghibellines ", stating that the palazzo was built to ensure that the Uberti family homes would never be rebuilt on

1740-743: The artistic and social excesses of Renaissance Italy, preaching with great vigor against any luxury. His power and influence grew so much that with time, he became the effective ruler of Florence and had soldiers for his protection following him around. In 1497 and 1498, during the time in which the festival known as Carnival occurred, Savonarola began to host a regular "bonfire of the vanities". He collected and burned objects that he considered objectionable, including nude paintings, wigs and makeup, love poetry, games and dice, and music and musical instruments. Anyone who tried to object found their hands being forced by teams of Savonarola supporters. These supporters called themselves Piagnoni ("Weepers") after

1798-596: The brothers Giuliano and Benedetto da Maiano . The inlaid woodwork ( intarsia ) on the doors was carved by Del Francione and depicts portraits of Dante and Petrarch . The large frescoes on the walls portraying the Stories of Furius Camillus by Francesco Salviati 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

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1856-555: 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 . This room is dedicated to Virtue as personified by Gualdrada . The ceiling painting of Gualdrada is by the Flemish painter Stradanus , better known under his Italian name Stradanus. Against the wall is a cabinet with Florentine mosaic designs. These rooms were used by

1914-638: 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). Named for the fresco on the ceiling. Has a fabulous view of Florence. There is a southeastern view to Piazzale Michelangelo and the Fortress Belvedere . Also visible are the remains of the Church of San Piero Scheraggio . This room (the Sala di Ercole) gets its name from

1972-529: The eldest son of Cosimo I de' Medici , to Archduchess Johanna of Austria , sister of the Emperor Maximilian II . Amongst the cities depicted are Graz , Innsbruck , Linz , Vienna , Bratislava (Pozsony), Prague , Hall in Tirol , Freiburg im Breisgau and Konstanz . Some were damaged over the course of time. The harmoniously proportioned columns, at one time smooth, and untouched, were at

2030-454: The famous Bonfire of the Vanities , burning in a large pile books, gaming tables, fine dresses, and works of poets. In front of the fountain of Neptune, a round marble plaque marks the exact spot where Girolamo Savonarola was hanged and burned on May 23, 1498. There are several restrictions on car movements in the city with various areas designated as zona a traffico limitato (ZTL), which translates to "restricted traffic zone." Areas such as

2088-622: The garden of the Villa Medici at Careggi . The water, flowing through the nose of the dolphin, is brought here by pipes from the Boboli Gardens . In the niche , in front of the fountain, stands Samson and Philistine by Pierino da Vinci . The frescoes on the walls are vedute of the cities of the Austrian Habsburg monarchy , painted in 1565 by Giorgio Vasari for the wedding celebration of Francesco I de' Medici ,

2146-505: The great Florentine bonfire of 1497, the primary source on his life, Vasari 's biography, does not mention this, and no early record does either. Vasari does assert that Botticelli produced nothing after coming under the influence of Savonarola, but that is not accepted by modern art historians, and several of his paintings are assigned dates after Savonarola's death in 1498. The art historian Rab Hatfield says that one of Botticelli's paintings, The Mystical Nativity , cryptically dated 1500,

2204-464: 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

2262-420: The next. The first courtyard was designed in 1453 by Michelozzo. In the lunettes , high around the courtyard, are crests of the church and city guilds. In the center, the porphyry fountain is by Battista del Tadda . 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

2320-447: 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

2378-465: 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

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2436-604: The occasion of Shrove Tuesday , martedí grasso . Francesco Guicciardini 's The History of Florence gives a firsthand account of the 1497 Florentine bonfire of the vanities. The focus of this destruction was on objects that might tempt one to sin, including vanity items such as mirrors, cosmetics, fine dresses, playing cards, and musical instruments. Other targets included books that Savonarola deemed immoral (such as works by Boccaccio ), manuscripts of secular songs, and artworks, including paintings and sculptures. Although often associated with Savonarola, such bonfires had been

2494-617: The oldest was cast in the 13th century. 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 , 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 as mentioned in guidebooks. Between 1529 and 1851 they were concealed behind

2552-501: The process. 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 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

2610-446: The roof). On the walls are large and expansive frescoes that depict battles and military victories by Florence over Pisa and Siena : 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 : Scene of His Glorification as Grand Duke of Florence and Tuscany . On

2668-605: The room indicates the beginning of the Vasari corridor , a passageway to the Palazzo Pitti built by Vasari for Cosimo I. The small, richly decorated chapel adjoining the Sala Verde is painted in fresco by the mannerist Angelo Bronzino and includes some of his masterpieces including the Crossing the Red Sea . It was built by Tasso to be Eleonora's private chapel. It was named because of the ceiling decoration. At one time it

2726-496: 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 in the spandrels between the trefoils. The building is crowned with projecting crenellated battlements , supported by small arches and corbels . Under

2784-446: The same time richly decorated with gilt stuccoes. The barrel vaults are furnished with grotesque decorations. 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. 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

2842-523: 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;

2900-469: 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. Cosimo the Elder 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

2958-483: The tomb of Julius II . The statue was placed in this hall by Vasari. In 1868 it was removed to the Bargello Museum , but was returned in 1921 by officials. At the end of the hall is a small side room without windows. The studiolo 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

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3016-487: 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 to the Palazzo Pitti . 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. Arnolfo di Cambio ,

3074-511: Was a Roman general mentioned in the writings of Plutarch . A small doorway leads into the adjoining small chapel dedicated to 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. Bonfire of

3132-564: Was built in 1494 by Simone del Pollaiolo , 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

3190-528: Was commissioned under two different rulers in Florence, David under Piero Soderini and Hercules and Cacus under the Medici . These statues, thus engage in a fierce dialogue with each other as well as the Florentine public about the socio-political state of Florence under each of the rulers. The statues at the entrance were installed next to each other to perpetuate different political agendas depending on their patron and demonstrate superiority from one regime to

3248-767: 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. A staircase designed by Vasari leads to the second floor. This floor contains the Apartments of the Elements, Priori, and Eleonora of Toledo. These apartments ( Sala degli Elementi ) consist of five rooms (such as

3306-439: Was shown by the archaeological treasures found beneath the square when it was repaved in the 1980s. Even remains of a Neolithic site were found. The square started taking shape from 1268 on, when houses of Ghibellines were pulled down by the victorious Guelphs . The square remained a long time untidy, full of holes. In 1385 it was paved for the first time. In 1497 Girolamo Savonarola and his followers carried out on this square

3364-547: 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 . 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 representing Spring and Autumn . On

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