Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. Secret passages in Palazzo Vecchio Old Palace in Florence
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Italy is Wonderland contrasts and burning passions. Each city in it is famous for its extraordinary sights, which have been the subject of legends for centuries. And one of these amazing places is the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence.
Palazzo Vecchio in Florence description
The majestic Palazzo Vecchio was built in the 13th century by the famous architect Arnolfo di Cambio and served as a residence for high-ranking officials. Since its formation, and to this day, this monument has been located in Piazza della Signoria.
– Change of names
During its existence, the town hall managed to change many names, but all of them personified only one concept - “power”. At the present time, Palazzo Vecchio, in addition to its official name, is also referred to as the “Old Palace”.
– Exterior of the building
The prototype of this building was the ancient building of the Palazzo Toscana, which was also intended for administrative purposes. But during construction, the architect managed to give the palace individuality and designed it in the style of a laconic medieval fort, above which rises a high clock tower. Therefore, if you look at the building from a bird's eye view, it will look like an ordinary rectangle.
Palazzo Vecchio in Florence sculptures
Near the main portal to the town hall there is a famous copy of the monument “David” by B. Michelangelo and “Hercules and Cacus” by B. Bandinelli, which, one might say, protect the luxurious courtyards from uninvited guests. But as soon as you get into any of these three courtyards, amazing beauty art, in the form of various sculptures.
In the palace you can find such monuments as: a bust of N. Machiavelli, Donatello’s Judith and many others.
Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, room five hundred
After the courtyard, visitors find themselves in an even more luxurious room - the “Hall of Five Hundred”. Anyone who has ever seen it will confirm that it is not short of beauty and grandeur, because this hall covers a significant part of the first of the three tiers of the entire palace. The dimensions of the Hall of Five Hundred are truly majestic and are: 52 m by 23 m.
This room was originally intended for meetings of the Great Council.
– Interior decoration of the hall
The walls of the Hall of the Five Hundred are decorated with delightful frescoes depicting military battles. Along the walls there are also sculptures of all the Popes who led the church, and the ceiling is decorated with paintings glorifying the Duke and his army.
In addition to this hall, there are other rooms in the palace that are in no way inferior to it in their beauty, namely: the “Hall of Lilies”, “Hall of Geographical Maps”, “Chapel of Duchess Eleanor” - just a small list of them.
Are you planning to visit this landmark of Italy soon? Great! In the meantime, watch the video about the Palazzo Vecchio castle.
Palazzo Vecchio in Florence opening hours
You can visit the palace from 9-00 to 19-00 (Fri. - Wed.) and from 9-00 to 14.00 (Thurs.) at Piazza Signoria 1.
Best time to visit (month, time of year), and why
The Palazzo Vecchio in Florence is one of the few places you should visit at least once in your life. After all, it crowns the heart of all Florence and reflects the essence of Italian life.
It is possible to visit this attraction at any time of the year, but probably the most memorable excursion will be the Christmas month, when the building will be illuminated with lights and solemnity will reign around.
Christmas in Italy, as in everything else Catholic world, falls in the month of December. Find out what the weather is like in December in Florence so you know what things to take with you to visit this beautiful place.
Appearances are deceiving - this is how one can rightfully characterize one of the most famous architectural monuments Florence - Palazzo Vecchio, which, despite all the tricks of the architects and the assurances of tourist brochures, looks quite menacing. However, there were very serious historical reasons for this. But his interior decoration is in no way inferior to the interiors of luxurious palaces of the Baroque and Classical eras. And in terms of cultural value, it surpasses them.
Palazzo Vecchio has already appeared several times on BlogoItaliano, including in the list. But this palace definitely deserves more detailed story, because its walls remember many events that played an important role in the history of Italy.
Palazzo Vecchio: background
Florence would not be Florence if it were within its walls in the 13th century. the most brutal struggle did not break out between the Guelphs (supporters of the power of the pope) and the Ghibellines (supporters of the transition to the rule of the Holy Roman Empire).
Avoiding unnecessary details, it is worth clarifying: the pope and the emperor could not divide the Apennine Peninsula, but, in the end, Guelphism won.
From Palazzo Nuovo to Palazzo Vecchio
Construction of the new palace was supposed to begin in 1284. But it began only after 1293. There are no reliable sources confirming who exactly was the architect of the future Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, has not survived, although it is generally believed that it is Arnolfo di Cambio. The Palazzo dei Priori in Volterra was taken as a model.
The palace was built unusually quickly for its time: by 1299 the main part, with the exception of the tower, was ready. But it rather resembled a castle: loopholes, machicolations, battlements.
A gallery was built along the upper perimeter of the building, from where one could calmly hit enemies. However, given the political situation not only outside the city, but also within its walls, the authorities had every reason to fear an invasion at any moment.
At the entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio there are majestic sculptures
The people still hoped for something, and unofficially christened the building Palazzo Popolo (“Palace of the People”; the townspeople had previously called the Palazzo del Bargello the same way), but they did not have to wait long for disappointment. Already in the 15th century. the palace had to be renamed. It was now called Palazzo della Signoria ("Palace of Power"). By the way, this official name Palazzo Vecchio, which has survived to this day.
For some time, however, it was also called Palazzo Ducale (“Palace of the Duke”, Cosimo I de’ Medici). And when the Medici finally moved to, the building lost its former administrative significance, which briefly returned to it in the late 60s and early 70s. XIX century And the palace, with the light hand of the Florentines, began to be called Palazzo Vecchio.
The 94-meter Arnolfo Tower deserves special attention in the architecture of the Palazzo. It was erected in 1314 on the site of the more ancient La Vacco tower (with a bell that sounded like the roar of a bull - translated from Italian as “vacco”), which belonged to Foraboschi.
The 94-meter Arnolfo Tower is visible far beyond Piazza della Signoria
Now the Arnolfo Tower is a real decoration of Piazza della Signoria, from where it offers an amazing view of the surrounding areas of Florence, and in the 15th century it served as a place of detention for special persons. Cosimo de' Medici, prone to intrigue, and the rebel priest Girolamon Savanarola, who imposed overly strict views on his flock of thousands, were detained here.
In the 17th century, a large city clock, designed by Giorgio Lederle, appeared on the façade. The old chronometer shows correctly exact time and to this day.
Palazzo Vecchio: interiors
But before you cross the threshold of the Palace, it’s worth taking a closer look at the sculptures decorating Piazza della Signoria. They are located in the Loggia dei Lanzi, to the right of the entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio. These are copies. All but one - a bronze statue of Perseus by Cellini. At the entrance to the palace there is a copy of Michelangelo’s “David” (the original is in) and “Hercules and Cacus” by Bandinelli.
To get inside the palace, you need to go through an elegant courtyard (architect Michelozzo). The courtyard is decorated with bas-reliefs with views of cities, churches and guild coats of arms. By the way, it was Michelozzo who decorated the façade of the palace with lilies and shamrocks to give it a more secular appearance.
In the center of the courtyard there is a fountain with a copy of the sculpture “Cupid with a Dolphin” (the original is on the 2nd floor of the palace). Opposite, in a niche, is the sculptural group “Samson and the Philistine” by Pierino da Vinci (Leonardo’s nephew).
The Old Palace acquired its modern appearance thanks to Cosimo de' Medici
The Palazzo acquired its modern appearance thanks to Cosimo I de' Medici, who ordered Vasari to completely reconstruct the palace, which completely destroyed the memory of the Republic.
However, in Salon Five Hundred, from where the tour of the Palazzo Vecchio begins, on one of the walls there was previously an unfinished fresco by Leonardo “The Battle of Anghiari”. Today, scientists have almost proven that it was not destroyed, but built up with another wall.
Vasari's battle scenes adorn the walls in the Hall of the Five Hundred
In this room it is worth paying attention to the luxurious coffered ceiling, frescoes by Vasari and his students and sculptural group Michelangelo "Genius trampling on brute force." At the end of the hall there is a small room where Cosimo's son, Francesco, conducted alchemical experiments.
There were hiding places behind the paintings and frescoes of Vasari, Allori, and Bronzino. The Duke's personal chambers were also located on the ground floor - Hall of Elements(water, air, earth, fire, ether).
The walls of Eleonora of Toledo's apartment are decorated with frescoes by Bronzino (mid-16th century)
There is also one on the 2nd floor Hall of Elements, but smaller in size: these were the apartments of Cosimo’s wife, Eleonora of Toledo. The walls of her chambers are decorated with Bronzino’s frescoes filled with joy and light. On the same floor is the famous Hall of Lilies, named after the Anjou-Sicilian dynasty that helped the Guelphs, whose coat of arms featured a golden lily on an azure background.
In the hall there is a statue of Judith by Donatello. On one wall is an extensive fresco by Ghirlandaio depicting St. Zenobius, the first bishop of Florence, with other saints, as well as Brutus, Camillus and Scipio as symbols of the free spirit.
Golden lilies decorate the walls and ceiling in the Hall of Lilies
The Hall of Lilies is connected to Audience Hall And Hall of Lion X, where you can see Vasari’s fresco “The Siege of Milan”. Fans of history and geography will definitely stay in Hall of Ancient Maps, hung, of course, with cards. In the middle of the hall is a huge wooden globe.
Hall of Ancients geographical maps at Palazzo Vecchio
Connoisseurs of the works of old masters will not pass by the paintings of the 14th-16th centuries. from the collection donated by art critic C. Loeser. IN Palazzo Vecchio There is also a rare collection of ancient bowed instruments, including works by Amati and Stradivari.
Address and opening hours of Palazzo Vecchio
Address: The Old Palace, which is how Palazzo Vecchio is translated, is located on Piazza della Signoria in the very center of Florence.
You can get here by city buses:
- route C1 – final stop Galleria Degli Uffizi;
- route C2 – final stop Condotta;
- routes C3 and D – final stop Ponte Vecchio.
Opening hours.
- from October to March from 9:00 to 19:00;
- from April to September from 9:00 to 23:00;
- on Thursday, due to a meeting of the government of Florence, the palace closes at 14:00.
The tower is open to the public:
- during the winter months from 10:00 to 17:00
- in summer from 9:00 to 21:00.
- on Thursday, like the palace itself, the tower is closed after 14:00.
Tickets to Palazzo Vecchio
Like other most famous landmarks in Italy, the Palazzo Vecchio tourist season(and not only in tourism) is experiencing a real invasion of tourists. With tourist groups and individually, with or without excursions, as part of delegations and for educational purposes - people go and go to the palace building.
So, buying tickets to Palazzo Vecchio is often very difficult, especially since right at the entrance there is a security point that checks all visitors, which somewhat slows down the already not particularly fast process.
The interiors of the Palazzo are decorated with frescoes by Vasari, Allori, Bronzino and others.
The most reliable option to avoid queues and have time to visit several attractions at once during a short visit to the Cradle of the Renaissance is to book tickets to Palazzo Vecchio in Florence in advance (the cost of tickets is not high at all).
Moreover, the service offers several options for visiting the palace, each of which is unusual in its own way.
When planning your visit to Florence, be sure to include the Palazzo Vecchio in your excursion program. He's worth it.
Name:
Location: Florence (Italy)
Style: Renaissance
Architect(s) Stars: Giorgio Vasari, Arnolfo di Cambio, Michelozzo di Bartolomeo
Palazzo architecture
Source:
I.A. Bartenev “Architects of the Italian Renaissance”
1936; Publishing house: OGIZ
Palazzo Vecchio is also known as the Florentine Signoria. It was built at the end of the 13th century by the architect Arnolfo di Cambio. Michelozzo's participation is limited to the solution of the main courtyard of the palazzo and architectural and decorative treatment interior spaces.
Palazzo Vecchio's appearance is designed in the spirit of Romanesque castle buildings. The courtyard, which has an irregular square shape in plan, retains the old spatial scheme characteristic of the work of Brunelleschi and Michelozzo (for example, the monastery in Fiesole, Palazzo Medici Ricardi). The difference is the motif of the ground floor galleries. Instead of the previous light, graceful columns, there are rather solid, massive support pillars of equal diameter along the entire height. The arches acquired a more powerful appearance, and the height of individual floors also increased. The courtyard of the Palazzo Vecchio is not impressive the idea of lightness and intimacy; a transition to more solemn and monumental techniques and forms is already outlined.
The effect achieved by Michelozzo is the result of the extensive use of the method of contrasts. For example, the heavy mass of walls contrasts with the open space of the galleries. The general isolation and limitation of the courtyard is further intensified and emphasized by the infinity of the heavenly space, opening through the square opening of the roof. The light pouring from above helps to reveal architectural details and creates an amazing play of chiaroscuro.
The stucco ornaments on the fustà of the columns, their capitals, the painting of the wall planes, the fountain in the middle of the courtyard belong to a later period and cannot be attributed to Michelozzo’s plans. The interior decorative decoration is extremely diverse and is of great interest. In a certain part, it is, as it were, a further development of the decorative principles that were laid down by Michelozzo in the Chapel of San Miniato and in the Church of Santa Annunziata. The common points in these structures are the unity of the ornament with the design, the consistency in the use of individual decorative motifs, and the variety of ornaments.
New features of Michelozzo’s creativity include greater relief, volume of decorative elements and a general increase in their specific gravity in architectural design.
Using this example, one can trace the widespread use of caissons for processing ceilings, due to the widespread use of flat floors by this time, as well as the relatively frequent use of wall surfaces for painting (Painting in the Palazzo Vecchio and a significant proportion of interior architectural design are the work of more late period). The courtyard of the Palazzo Tornabuoni, which he soon built, is also characteristic of Michelozzo’s work.
Vasari's Perestroika
In 1558, Vasari was commissioned to carry out a radical reconstruction of the building: redevelopment of the interior, their decorative decoration and furnishings. The redevelopment pursued certain goals: to create greater consistency in the arrangement of halls and rooms; It was also necessary to redo the old stairs - steep and inconvenient. Vasari showed great practicality in rearranging the interior spaces.
Decorative work consisted of the introduction of new, in Vasari’s own words, “luxurious stucco ornaments of the latest taste,” as well as “decoration with a variety of pictorial images.”
The colossal compositions of the Palazzo Vecchio are undoubtedly the most significant of Vasari's paintings. Among them are a number of frescoes chronicling the Medici family, portraits painted from life, as well as a large number of wall paintings on mythological subjects.
Vasari's most important work at the Palazzo Vecchio was the reconstruction of the great hall of the Council of Five Hundred, where the rafters were raised and thus the room was significantly increased; he decorated the hall with paintings “representing naval battles, sieges of cities, buildings, ceremonies, triumphs and other objects,” as he himself defined them. Like all of Vasari's works, they were completed in record time; the size of the paintings did not bother the artist. In his biography, Vasari says on this matter: “To explain the reason that made me rush to finish the work I had begun, I will say that I was aware of the negotiations about the marriage of our prince with the sister of the now reigning monarch.” In preparing the palace for this event, the artist rushed the work, not always caring about its artistic value.
The architectural and decorative design of the Palazzo Vecchio fully revealed the specificity of his style: there is a lot of stylization in the door frames, in the treatment of the ceilings, in all the ornamental elements, but little in the way of true classics. Vasari, in pursuit of external beauty and originality, resorted to various kinds of “liberties” in relation to forms and motifs and was not averse to even imitating Michelangelo to a certain extent.
Vasari does not oversaturate the planes with ornamentation, does not over-enrich them. However, this ornamentation itself often does not correspond well to the nature of the architectural form.
- General history of architecture, volume 5 Architecture Western Europe XV-XVI centuries Renaissance 1967, Moscow
- Mikhailovsky I.B. “Theory of classical architectural forms.” Reprint edition. – M.: “Architecture-S”, 2006. – 288 p., ill.
- P.P. Gnedich “General History of Arts. Painting. Sculpture. Architecture". Modern version Moscow “Eksmo”, 2009
Sources:
A short virtual walk through the Palazzo Vecchio, the history of the palace, its interior and some memories associated with the famous Hollywood blockbuster
Keywords: Palazzo Vecchio, Florence museums, Inferno, Tours of Florence, reviews of Florence, Tuscany Italy.
Here it is, a rather unusually shaped palace, a decoration of Piazza della Signoria. Its clock tower is visible from almost anywhere in Florence. By the way, it was this palace that gave the name to the square on which it was built - it was once called Palazzo della Signoria, then the building was renamed Palazzo Ducale (Ducal Palace), and a little later the palace began to be called the Old. This name has survived to this day: Palazzo Vecchio (Old Palace)
The entrance to the palazzo is decorated with two significant sculptures: the statue of David by the great Michelangelo and “Hercules defeating Cacus” by Baccio Bandinelli (pictured below). It is behind this sculpture on the wall of the palace that you can find a mysterious drawing. The stone depicts the profile of a person. According to legend, this drawing belongs to Michelangelo. He bet that, turning his back, he would carve on the wall the face of the criminal who was being hanged in the square at that moment. This is such a legend. There is a drawing, I checked it personally. You will also find it when you walk around the square :)
Nowadays, in the building of the Old Palace there is a museum, which is called “Palazzo Vecchio”. One of the most famous halls is the Hall of Five Hundred. It was named so because at one time 500 members of parliament sat there. The walls of the hall are painted with frescoes that depict battle scenes, and on the ceiling you can see paintings (39 ceiling panels) glorifying Duke Cosimo de' Medici himself.
Fans of Dan Brown's work and just fans of Hollywood action films are familiar with Florence from the novel "Inferno" and the film of the same name. In particular, quite a lot of the events described in the book take place in the Palazzo Vecchio, and in the film the famous ceiling of the Hall of the Five Hundred is completely pierced through. I suggest you refresh your memory of the film, this is the right time to watch a short excerpt:
A terrible sight for connoisseurs and connoisseurs, isn’t it?
The office of Francesco I de' Medici is no less interesting, but you simply can't get past this sculpture of an angel, especially because there are a lot of people crowding around the Chinese. To be honest, I still didn’t understand what kind of masterpiece this was; I couldn’t find any special references to the sculpture offhand. Maybe for the Chinese the black angel is an outstanding thing in itself, maybe it really is a world-class masterpiece, but it still remains a mystery. If anyone knows, please enlighten me in the comments. I would like to educate myself somehow :)
Personally, I noticed a series of secretaries like this; apparently in those days it was fashionable to stylize “office” furniture to resemble the facades of palaces.
The second floor of the building is also rich in attractions. This is where the "Hall of Lilies" is located. The pride of this room is not so much the frescoes with images of saints and popes, but the ceiling, reminiscent of a golden honeycomb - in each of the cells, golden lilies, a symbol of the French family of Anjou, are written on a blue background. What does the French have to do with it? It’s all very simple: gratitude for the timely financial assistance and support provided to the Pope’s supporters.
And, of course, you cannot go unnoticed in the Hall of Cards, where you will find 53 vintage cards, painted by the monk Ignat Danti, and in the center of the hall there was the largest globe at that time (mid-16th century).
Fans of Dan Brown simply cannot miss visiting the hall! It is here that a scene unfolds that sheds light on the mystery of the Vasari Corridor. Let's look at another excerpt:
Yes, there is also a map of Armenia, and it is actually located on a disguised door:
We were not able to pick this door, so we would have to take the word of the heroes of the novel that it was from here that we could get into some kind of secret passage. But nearby we found a map of Muscovy :)
This concludes our short report. They will tell you more, better and more fun about the Palazzo Vecchio on the excursion, I advise you to pay attention: Tickets for the excursion (from 33 euros)
Well, our walks around historical places and museums are coming to an end. I think there is no point in talking about the Florentine Academy of Fine Arts on paper (in this case from a monitor), the originals of most sculptures from all the palaces and squares of Florence are collected there, you just have to see it with your own eyes. And other museums are worthy of a personal visit. If anyone still has doubts about the trip, pack your bags, you won’t regret it!
Well, in the meantime, we’ll see how things are going with contemporary art in Florence and go to visit Clet Abraham, who is known for his unusual road signs.
Palazzo Vecchio (Old Palace) is located on one of the most beautiful squares in Italy - Piazza della Signoria. Construction of the Palace began in 1294 according to the design of Arnolfo di Cambio as a fortress to protect the residence of the priors - a powerful square building with a crenellated top. The high tower (94 meters), which has risen above the gallery since 1310, gives the palace even more solidity. The outside of the building is clad in rusticated solid stone. The three-story façade is decorated with paired windows set in semicircular arches, which gives the entire building an impression of restrained severity. Between 1343 and 1592, changes and additions were made to Arnolfo di Cambio's original design (both inside and outside the building). Such masters as Cronaca, Vasari and Buontalenti took part in these works. On the façade, under the arches of the gallery, you can see frescoes with nine coats of arms of the city’s communes. The watch has a movement that dates back to 1667. On both sides of the entrance to the palace there are marble sculptures for hanging chains.
In front of the Palazzo Vecchio there are a number of sculptures, including the famous copy of Michelangelo's David, which replaced the original in 1873. Above the facade above the entrance there is a medallion with the monogram of Christ, flanked by figures of lions on a bright blue background of the tympanum and surmounted by a triangular cornice. The Latin inscription "Rex regum et Dominus dominantium", which means "The King rules and God rules", was placed here in 1551 by order of Cosimo I.
The Salon of the Five Hundreds of the Palazzo Vecchio, intended to host meetings of the Great People's Council after the second expulsion of the Medici from Florence, was created according to the design of the architect Cronac. Work on decorating the hall was headed by Vasari. Allegorical paintings on the ceiling and walls tell the story of the triumphant Return of Grand Duke Cosimo I to Florence, and the History of the conquests of Pisa and Siena. Among the marble statues, it is worth noting the sculptural group by Michelangelo “Genius trampling on brute force.”
Among the Supreme Apartments, in addition to the Apartments of Eleanor of Toledo and the Audience Hall, the Hall of the Lilies should be highlighted. The hall owes its name to the decoration depicting a golden lily flower on a blue background. On the walls are frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandaio. The famous Judith, Donatello's masterpiece, is exhibited in the Hall of Lilies. Previously, it stood in Piazza della Signoria.
