Florentine palaces - Palazzi
Over one hundred beautiful palaces adorn the old town of Florence and symbolise the power of the city's upper class. Anyone who walks through the streets outside of the most popular places will be able to discover numerous other residences for themselves.
Palazzo Vecchio
The mediaeval Palazzo Vecchio, formerly called the Palazzo della Signoria, stands in the heart of the Florentine old town.
Its high, thin tower makes the building from 1299 seem more like a fortress than a palace. The Palazzo Vecchio was the seat of the government and the most important building in the city for a long time.
Today it houses the city's town hall. The staircase in front of the palace is decorated with various sculptures. Thick walls surround magnificent halls, works of art such as Michelangelo's David (today a copy) and a beautiful courtyard with a fountain.
Palace of the Pitti family
The Palazzo Pitti towers monumentally to the south of the Arno. At the time of the noble family Pitti, the residence had humble dimensions.
It was not until the Medici family gained the palace in 1549 that it became one of the most magnificent feudal palaces in the city. Over the centuries, the elegant Palazzo Pitti was subjected to many different renovations and changes.
After the Medici, the Italian Royal Family resided in the 200 metre long Renaissance palace, from 1865 until 1871. Today, the halls of the Palazzo Pitti house various museums and galleries with amazing works of art. The beautiful parks of the Boboli garden can be accessed through the courtyard in front of the palace.
The artfully decorated corridor Corridoio Vasariano, connects the Palazzo Pitti over the Arno with the administrative palace.
Palazzo degli Uffizi
The Palazzo degli Uffizi stretches from the Piazza della Signoria to the banks of the river Arno. The Medici duke Cosimo I. commissioned Vasari with the project to include an administrative centre (uffici), at the end of the 16th century.
The Medici put their amazing art collection on display only a few years after the Uffizi were completed. Today, the Galleria degli Uffizi, one of the largest and best-visited museums in the world, is housed here.
Palazzo Antinori
The Piazza Antinori is home to the Renaissance palace of the Antinoti family. The 15th century architectural masterpiece has a wonderful courtyard, with arcades on three sides. It is still the private residence of the Antinori today.
Palace of the Medici Riccardi
The first feudal palace in Florence was built in the 15th century on the magnificent Via Cavour. Today, the Medici palace is the prefecture and province administration building.
The courtyard has fascinating arcades as well as a garden, which is full of sculptures. Chapels, which are decorated with frescos, are also a large part of the Palazzo Medici Riccardi.
Palazzo Rucellai
The Palazzo Rucellai is known as one of the most beautiful Florentine residences in the style of the Renaissance. Its fascinating facade has an elegant three-piece. The loggia in front of the palace offers a spectacular stage to various events. Today, a photo archive and museum are housed in the Palazzo Rucellai.
Aristocratic palace of the Davanzati
The Palazzo Davanzati seems almost intimidating to the onlooker. The aristocratic palace from the 14th century was later expanded by a loggia in the first floor.
Today, the perfectly reconstructed residences, complete with goblins, furniture and paintings give an insight into the lifestyle of 14th century Florence.
Palazzo del Podest� or del Bargello
Where countless people now visit the National Museum, law-breakers used to serve their sentences. The Bargello is from the 13th century and was originally the seat of the Podest�, the city leaders.
At the end of the 16th century it was turned into police quarters and a prison. It has housed the Museo Nazionale del Bargello's Renaissance sculptures since 1859.
Palace if the Strozzi
The merchant family Strozzi built this elegant residence in the 15th century. The Palazzo Strozzi is an excellent example of the Florentine Residence as the largest feudal palace in the whole of the city. The rooms host the National Institute of Renaissance Studies today.
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