Palazzo Spini Ferroni is a large Gothic palace located along Via de' Tornabuoni at the corner of Piazza Santa Trinita, in central

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...

, Italy. It stands across from the church of

Santa Trinita Santa Trinita (; Italian for "Holy Trinity") is a Roman Catholic church located in front of the ''piazza'' of the same name, traversed by Via de' Tornabuoni, in central Florence, Tuscany, Italy. It is the mother church of the Vallumbrosan Orde ...

History

The palace was commissioned in 1289 by the rich cloth merchant and banker Geri Spini, on plots that he had bought after the 1288 flood of the river

Arno The Arno is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the most important river of central Italy after the Tiber. Source and route The river originates on Monte Falterona in the Casentino area of the Apennines, and initially takes a sou ...

, from the monks of

. At the time, it was the largest privately owned palazzo in Florence, rivaling in size the contemporary

Palazzo Vecchio The ( "Old Palace") is the town hall of Florence, Italy. It overlooks the , 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'', a ...

, the seat of government of the Republic. The design of Palazzo Spini Feroni has been attributed to list of architects including

Arnolfo di Cambio Arnolfo di Cambio ( – 1300/1310) was an Italian architect and sculptor of the Duecento, who began as a lead assistant to Nicola Pisano. He is documented as being ''capomaestro'' or Head of Works for Florence Cathedral in 1300, and designed th ...

or Arnolfo's father, Lapo Tedesco. The edifice's original appearance can be seen in Ghirlandaio's frescoes in the

Sassetti Chapel The Sassetti Chapel (Italian language, Italian: Cappella Sassetti) is a chapel in the basilica of Santa Trinita in Florence, Italy. It is especially notable for its frescoes of the ''Stories of St. Francis'', considered Domenico Ghirlandaio's mas ...

of the neighbouring church of Santa Trinita. Built during a turbulent medieval century in the city, noted for internecine conflict between families, the palace is a fortress-like stone block, with street level arches in a tall first story, with a protruding cornice surmounted by merlons. In the 14th century, the palazzo was divided between the two branches of the Spini; the section facing the piazza was sold in the 17th century. In the 1670s, Marquis Francesco Antonio Ferroni, a member of

Grand Duke Grand duke (feminine: grand duchess) is a European hereditary title, used either by certain monarchs or by members of certain monarchs' families. The title is used in some current and former independent monarchies in Europe, particularly: * in ...

Cosimo III's ruling circle, had it redecorated with stuccoes by Giovanni Battista Foggini and Lorenzo Merlini. During this refurbishment, the frescoes (1609–1612) by

Bernardino Poccetti Bernardino Poccetti (26 August 1548 – 10 October 1612), also known as Barbatelli, was an Italian Mannerist painter and printmaker of etchings. Biography Born in Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region ...

depicting ''Paradise with a Choir of Musician Angels'' and ''Adoration of the Shepherds'' were moved from their original location. In 1846, after a spell as a hotel, the palace was purchased by the ''

comune A (; : , ) is an administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions () and provinces (). The can also have the City status in Italy, titl ...

'' of Florence, and later used for state offices during the period (1865–1871) when Florence was capital of Italy. In 1874, it was partly renovated in neo-medieval style; shop-fronts were opened in the ground floor and a tower and an arch facing the river Arno were demolished, giving the palace the present appearance. In the 1930s, it was bought by the shoe designer Salvatore Ferragamo. Since 1995 the Palazzo has housed a museum dedicated to Ferragamo.

References

* *Touring Club Italiano. ''Firenze e dintorni''.

External links

* {{Authority control Buildings and structures completed in 1289 Gothic architecture in Florence Spini Ferroni Houses completed in the 13th century Salvatore Ferragamo