Former Palace of Signoria, now named Palazzo Vecchio, probably the most luxurious building in Florence . Built at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries , the palace itself is an architectural gem, and together with magnificent interiors, literally packed with masterpieces of painting and sculpture, is a must-see point of the Florentine excursion program . Three inner courtyards, the central 52-meter Cinquecento hall with frescoes of the 16th century, Chapel of the Signoria and Wardrobe room is a far from complete list of breathtaking palazzo rooms .
A little history
Palazzo Vecchio was built in 1299 and originally the seat of the government of Florence . At the beginning of its history it was called New, then changed its name to the Palace Signoriia (in the 15th century the rulers of the commune declared themselves "signors"), and in the 16th century acquired the name Palazzo Ducale - then the Tuscan duke Cosimo de 'Medici moved here. . At the same time the building was reconstructed according to the needs of the new owner, and the present view of the palace belongs just in time end of the 16th century . Well, with the move of the Medici to the new palace (Palazzo-Pitti) Palazzo Ducale began to be called Palazzo Vecchio ("old") and used to store family jewelry and ceremonial costumes . In 1871 Palazzo Vecchio found the original function - once again became the residence of the Florence City Administration .
| Palazzo -Vecchio |
| Fountain in Palazzo-Vecchio |
| Fragment of the frescoes |
What to see
The acquaintance with the Palazzo Vecchio invariably begins with the central entrance. Here immediately attracts attention a massive marble frontispiece of the early 16th century: between two lions is placed the monogram of Jesus Christ and the laudatory inscription in Latin. And to the right and left of the entrance there are two famous sculptures: "David" by Michelangelo and "Hercules and Cacus" by Bandinelli (do not flatter yourself: "David" is a copy, the original can be seen in the Academy Gallery.)
The three courtyards of Palazzo are so luxurious, that willy-nilly you are asking yourself the question: can interiors be even more brilliant ... Here you can see the statues of Verrocchio and the frescoes of Vasari, and the water flowing from the nose of the dolphin-fountain is delivered here as much from the Boboli gardens!
Cinquecento Hall - the central front room of the palace; the massive staircase of Vasari's work leads to him amazing . Its size is 52 by 23 meters, on the walls you can see monumental frescoes depicting Florence's victories over Pisa and Siena, and 39 ceiling panels are painted based on life events Cosimo Medici . In niches there are numerous sculptures, the most significant of which is "The Genius of Victory" by Michelangelo . And in the studio (small cabinet) of the Medici you can see the baroque wall panels with the painting hiding the cupboards .
On the second floor of the Palazzo Vecchio by all means ith visit the Hall of Elements with frescoes depicting water, fire, earth, etc., the terrace of Saturn, with a beautiful view of the historic center of Florence, the Hall of Hercules, the House of Lions, where the elder Cosimo really kept predators, entertaining animal rape, hall and boudoir Eleonora
In the Chapel of the Signoria the azure ceiling with golden facets and French royal lilies attracts attention, numerous frescoes on biblical themes, as well as the original statue of "Judith and Holofernes" by Donatello. And in the Cloak room is an exceptionally interesting old giant globe "mappa mundi" and 53 geographic maps of the 16th century
Address and opening hours
Address: Piazza Signoria 1
Working hours: Friday - Wednesday: 09:00 - 19 : 00, Thursday: 09:00 - 14:00.
Entrance: 6 EUR.