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PALAZZO VECCHIO

Palace
4.6/5
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Piazza della Signoria, Florence - Firenze , Italy
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2024
Recommended
2024

A symbol of Florence's power, the Palazzo Vecchio and its 95-metre tower elegantly dominate the Piazza della Signoria.

This fortress-palace is the symbol of Florence's power. With its 95-metre high tower, Palazzo Vecchio elegantly dominates Piazza della Signoria. Built between the end of the 13th and the beginning of the 14th century on the Arnolfo di Cambio project, the palace was then enlarged in the 15th and 16th centuries. The seat of the Seigneury, it temporarily housed the Medici during the time of Cosme I until they moved to Palazzo Pitti. The Palazzo della Signoria took the name of Vecchio and Giorgio Vasari worked there. A symbol of civil power, it now houses the City Council of Florence.

Its façades are pierced by twinned windows topped by heavy protruding crenellations. There are many coats of arms, including the one with the vermeil field and the white lily consecrating Florence as a founding mother city, "daughter and creature of ancient Rome", or the one of the Seigneury, in the azure field, bearing the inscription "libertas". Freedom was indeed the motivation of the Tuscan cities in perpetual struggle for their independence.

To the right of the palace, the Loggia della Signoria (also known as Loggia dei Lanzi) houses Benvenuto Cellini's Perseus (wielding the head of the Gorgon jellyfish) and the Removal of the Sabines, a 16th century marble sculpture by Giambologna.

The Arnolfo Tower, in homage to the architect and sculptor Arnolfo di Cambio, to whom the construction of the palace is attributed, was completed in 1310, this belfry with three rows of square battlements has a projecting wall path that can be used. Count about 300 steps to climb! The bell was rung to announce public meetings or to warn of imminent danger.

The museum, located in the monumental districts of Palazzo Vecchio, offers a glimpse into the political and social life of the 16th century, when Cosme de Médicis and his wife lived in the palace. There are masterpieces by Michelangelo, Vasari, Ghirlandaio, Verrocchio, Bronzino, Andrea della Robbia or Donatello (Judith and Holofernes). And above all the Hall of the Five Hundred, where the paintings, painted by artists from Michelangelo's workshops, are particularly satisfying during the battles against Pisa and Siena. Impressive and sumptuous at the same time! Various guided tours are offered (in French), including one of the secret passages of the palace, where you can discover the hidden parts of Francis I de Medici's studio, and during which you can access the structures above the famous salone dei Cinquecento.

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Members' reviews on PALAZZO VECCHIO

4.6/5
19 reviews
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The ratings and reviews below reflect the subjective opinions of members and not the opinion of The Little Witty.

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Odri_dri
Visited in october 2021
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Incontournable
Musée à ciel ouvert ! Statuts et palaces avec une très belle architecture. Place agréable à la tombée de la nuit avec des artistes de rue talentueux.
Mepinat
Visited in september 2019
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Service
Originality
Très beau palais au centre ville que l'on ne peu pas manquer
La place est aussi très belle
Bouboue27
Visited in september 2018
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Originality
Super musée à ne pas manquer. Mais comme beaucoup de musées à Florence reservez à l avance !
Visited in august 2018
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Palazzo à ne pas manquer ! Rempli d'histoire et d’œuvres d'art, sa visite se fait en deux heures pour un prix tout à fait correct.
La montée dans la tour vaut réellement le coup et permet d'observer le duomo surplombant la ville.
A faire tôt le matin !
Mimi1753
Visited in april 2018
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Magnifique palais à visiter absolument. Certaines salles comme la salle des 500 sont extraordinaires.

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