The ( "Old Palace") is the

town hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...

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 ...

, Italy. It overlooks the , which holds a copy of

Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (6March 147518February 1564), known mononymously as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was inspir ...

's ''

David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...

'' statue, and the gallery of statues in the adjacent Loggia dei Lanzi. Originally called the ''Palazzo della Signoria'', after the Signoria of Florence, the ruling body of the Republic of Florence, this building was also known by several other names: ''Palazzo del Popolo'', ''Palazzo dei Priori'', and ''Palazzo Ducale'', in accordance with the varying use of the palace during its long history. The building acquired its current name when the

Medici The House of Medici ( , ; ) was an Italian banking family and political dynasty that first consolidated power in the Republic of Florence under Cosimo de' Medici and his grandson Lorenzo "the Magnificent" during the first half of the 15th ...

duke's residence was moved across the Arno River to the Palazzo Pitti.

History

Hanging and burning of Girolamo Savonarola in Florence

In 1299, the commune and people of Florence decided to build a palace that would be worthy of the city's importance, and that would be more secure and defensible in times of turbulence for the magistrates of the commune.Bartlett, 37.

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 ...

, the architect of the

Duomo ''Duomo'' (, ) is an Italian term for a church with the features of, or having been built to serve as a cathedral, whether or not it currently plays this role. The Duomo of Monza, for example, has never been a diocesan seat and is by definitio ...

and the Santa Croce church, began construction upon the ruins of ''Palazzo dei Fanti'' and ''Palazzo dell'Esecutore di Giustizia'', once owned by the Uberti family.

Giovanni Villani Giovanni Villani (; 1276 or 1280 – 1348)Bartlett (1992), 35. was an Italian banker, official, diplomat and chronicler from Florence who wrote the ''Nuova Cronica'' (''New Chronicles'') on the history of Florence. He was a leading statesman of ...

(1276–1348) wrote in his '' Nuova Cronica'' that the Uberti were "rebels of Florence and

Ghibellines The Guelphs and Ghibellines ( , ; ) were factions supporting the Pope (Guelphs) and the Holy Roman Emperor (Ghibellines) in the Italian city-states of Central Italy and Northern Italy during the Middle Ages. During the 12th and 13th centurie ...

", stating that the palazzo was built to ensure that the Uberti family homes would never be rebuilt on the same location. The cubical building is made of solid rusticated stonework, with two rows of two-lighted Gothic windows, each with a

trefoil A trefoil () is a graphic form composed of the outline of three overlapping rings, used in architecture, Pagan and Christian symbolism, among other areas. The term is also applied to other symbols with a threefold shape. A similar shape with f ...

arch. In the 15th century, Michelozzo added decorative bas-reliefs of the cross and the Florentine lily in the

spandrel A spandrel is a roughly triangular space, usually found in pairs, between the top of an arch and a rectangular frame, between the tops of two adjacent arches, or one of the four spaces between a circle within a square. They are frequently fil ...

s between the trefoils. The building is crowned with projecting crenellated battlements, supported by small arches and

corbel In architecture, a corbel is a structural piece of stone, wood or metal keyed into and projecting from a wall to carry a wikt:superincumbent, bearing weight, a type of bracket (architecture), bracket. A corbel is a solid piece of material in t ...

s. Under the arches are a repeated series of nine painted

coats of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic ac ...

of the Florentine republic. Some of these arches can be used as embrasures (') for dropping heated liquids or rocks on invaders. The solid, massive building is enhanced by the simple tower with its clock. Giovanni Villani wrote that Arnolfo di Cambio incorporated the ancient tower of the Foraboschi family (the tower then known as "La Vacca" or "The Cow") into the new tower's facade as its substructure; this is why the rectangular tower (height 94 m) is not directly centered in the building. This tower contains two small cells, that, at different times, imprisoned Cosimo de' Medici (the Elder) (1435) and

Girolamo Savonarola Girolamo Savonarola, OP (, ; ; 21 September 1452 – 23 May 1498), also referred to as Jerome Savonarola, was an ascetic Dominican friar from Ferrara and a preacher active in Renaissance Florence. He became known for his prophecies of civic ...

(1498). The tower is named after its designer ''Torre d'Arnolfo''. The tower's large, one-handed clock was originally constructed in 1353 by the Florentine Nicolò Bernardo, but was replaced in 1667 with a replica made by Georg Lederle from the German town of

Augsburg Augsburg ( , ; ; ) is a city in the Bavaria, Bavarian part of Swabia, Germany, around west of the Bavarian capital Munich. It is a College town, university town and the regional seat of the Swabia (administrative region), Swabia with a well ...

(Italians refer to him as Giorgio Lederle of Augusta) and installed by

Vincenzo Viviani Vincenzo Viviani (April 5, 1622 – September 22, 1703) was an Italian mathematician and scientist. He was a pupil of Torricelli and Galileo.Palazzo Pitti, he officially renamed his former palace the , the "Old Palace", although the adjacent town square, the ''Piazza della Signoria'', still bears the original name. Cosimo commissioned

Giorgio Vasari Giorgio Vasari (30 July 1511 – 27 June 1574) was an Italian Renaissance painter, architect, art historian, and biographer who is best known for his work ''Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects'', considered the ideol ...

to build an above-ground walkway, the Vasari corridor, from the , through the

Uffizi The Uffizi Gallery ( ; , ) is a prominent art museum adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence in the region of Tuscany, Italy. One of the most important Italian museums and the most visited, it is also one of th ...

, over the to the Palazzo Pitti. Cosimo I also moved the seat of government to the Uffizi. The palace gained new importance as the seat of united Italy's provisional government from 1865 to 1871, at a moment when Florence had become the temporary capital of the Kingdom of Italy. Although most of the is now a

museum A museum is an institution dedicated to displaying or Preservation (library and archive), preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. Many museums have exhibitions of these objects on public display, and some have private colle ...

, it remains as the symbol and center of local government; since 1872 it has housed the office of the mayor of Florence, and it is the seat of the City Council. The tower currently has three bells; the oldest was cast in the 13th century.

Entrance

Above the front entrance door, there is a notable ornamental marble frontispiece, dating from 1528. In the middle, flanked by two gilded lions, is the Monogram of Christ, surrounded by a glory, above the text (''in Latin''): "Rex Regum et Dominus Dominantium" (translation: "King of Kings and Lord of Lords". This text dates from 1851 and does not replace an earlier text by

Savonarola Savonarola is an Italian surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Girolamo Savonarola (1452–1498), Italian Dominican friar and reformer * Michele Savonarola (1385–), Italian physician, humanist and historian {{Surname, 2=Italian-la ...

as mentioned in guidebooks. Between 1529 and 1851 they were concealed behind a large shield with the grand-ducal coat of arms. Michelangelo's ''David'' also stood at the entrance from its completion in 1504 to 1873, when it was moved to the accademia Gallery. A replica erected in 1910 now stands in its place, flanked by Baccio Bandinelli's '' Hercules and Cacus''. The statuary present at the entrance of the Palazzo Vecchio is a testament to the fluctuating political atmosphere in Florence from 1504 to 1534, when Michelangelo's ''

'' and Bandinelli's '' Hercules and Cacus'' were created, respectively. The statuary in front of this political building was commissioned under two different rulers in Florence, ''David'' under Piero Soderini and ''Hercules and Cacus'' under the

. These statues, thus engage in a fierce dialogue with each other as well as the Florentine public about the socio-political state of Florence under each of the rulers. The statues at the entrance were installed next to each other to perpetuate different political agendas depending on their patron and demonstrate superiority from one regime to the next.

Courtyards

First courtyard

The first courtyard was designed in 1453 by Michelozzo. In the

lunette A lunette (French ''lunette'', 'little moon') is a crescent- or half-moon–shaped or semi-circular architectural space or feature, variously filled with sculpture, painted, glazed, filled with recessed masonry, or void. A lunette may also be ...

s, high around the courtyard, are crests of the church and city guilds. In the center, the porphyry fountain is by Battista del Tadda. The ''Putto with Dolphin'' on top of the basin is a copy of the original by

Andrea del Verrocchio Andrea del Verrocchio ( , , ; born Andrea di Michele di Francesco de' Cioni; – 1488) was an Italian sculpture, sculptor, List of Italian painters, painter and goldsmith who was a master of an important workshop in Florence. He apparently bec ...

(1476), now on display on the second floor of the palace. This small statue was originally placed in the garden of the Villa Medici at Careggi. The water, flowing through the nose of the dolphin, is brought here by pipes from the

Boboli Gardens The Boboli Gardens ( /’bo.bo.li/) is a historical park of the city of Florence that was opened to the public in 1766. Originally designed for the Medici, it represents one of the first and most important examples of the Italian garden, which l ...

. In the niche, in front of the fountain, stands ''Samson and Philistine'' by Pierino da Vinci. The frescoes on the walls are vedute of the cities of the Austrian

Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy, also known as Habsburg Empire, or Habsburg Realm (), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities (composite monarchy) that were ruled by the House of Habsburg. From the 18th century it is ...

, painted in 1565 by

for the wedding celebration of

Francesco I de' Medici Francesco I (25 March 1541 – 19 October 1587) was the second Grand Duke of Tuscany, ruling from 1574 until his death in 1587. He was a member of the House of Medici. Biography Born in Florence, Francesco was the son of Cosimo I de' Medi ...

, the eldest son of

Cosimo I de' Medici Cosimo I de' Medici (12 June 1519 – 21 April 1574) was the second and last duke of Florence from 1537 until 1569, when he became the first grand duke of Tuscany, a title he held until his death. Cosimo I succeeded his cousin to the duchy. ...

, to Archduchess Johanna of Austria, sister of the Emperor Maximilian II. Amongst the cities depicted are

Graz Graz () is the capital of the Austrian Federal states of Austria, federal state of Styria and the List of cities and towns in Austria, second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 inc ...

Innsbruck Innsbruck (; ) is the capital of Tyrol (federal state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the Wipptal, Wipp Valley, which provides access to the ...

Linz Linz (Pronunciation: , ; ) is the capital of Upper Austria and List of cities and towns in Austria, third-largest city in Austria. Located on the river Danube, the city is in the far north of Austria, south of the border with the Czech Repub ...

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

Bratislava Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...

(Pozsony),

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

, Hall in Tirol,

Freiburg im Breisgau Freiburg im Breisgau or simply Freiburg is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fourth-largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, Mannheim and Karlsruhe. Its built-up area has a population of abou ...

and

Konstanz Konstanz ( , , , ), traditionally known as Constance in English, is a college town, university city with approximately 83,000 inhabitants located at the western end of Lake Constance in the Baden-Württemberg state of south Germany. The city ho ...

. Some were damaged over the course of time. The harmoniously proportioned columns, at one time smooth, and untouched, were at the same time richly decorated with gilt stuccoes. The barrel vaults are furnished with grotesque decorations.

Second courtyard

The second courtyard, also called "The Customs", contains the massive pillars built in 1494 by Il Cronaca (1457–1508) that sustains the great ''"Salone dei Cinquecento"'' on the second floor.

Third courtyard

The third courtyard was used mainly for offices of the city. Between the first and second courtyard the massive and monumental stairs by Vasari lead up to the ''"Salone dei Cinquecento"''.

Salone dei Cinquecento

The Salone dei Cinquecento (''Hall of the Five Hundred'') is the largest and most imposing chamber in the Palazzo Vecchio. It measures approximately 52 meters (170 feet) in length, 23 meters (75 feet) in width, and 18 meters (59 feet) in height. However, another source provides slightly different dimensions, specifying a width of 22.15 meters and a length of 51.61 meters along the east wall and 53.47 meters along the west wall. The ''Salone dei Cinquecento'' was built in 1494 by Simone del Pollaiolo, on commission of

who, replacing the Medici after their exile as the spiritual leader of the Republic, wanted it as a seat of the Grand Council (''Consiglio Maggiore'') consisting of 500 members. Later, the hall was enlarged by

so that Grand Duke Cosimo I could hold his court in this chamber. During this transformation, famous (but unfinished) works were lost, including the '' Battle of Cascina'' by

, and the '' Battle of Anghiari'' by

Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (15 April 1452 - 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Renaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested o ...

. Leonardo was commissioned in 1503 to paint one long wall with a battle scene celebrating a famous Florentine victory. He was always trying new methods and materials and decided to mix wax into his pigments. Da Vinci had finished painting part of the wall, but it was not drying fast enough, so he brought in braziers stoked with hot coals to try to hurry the process. A legend exists that Giorgio Vasari, wanting to preserve Da Vinci's work, had a false wall built over the top of ''The Battle of Anghiari'' before painting his fresco. Attempts to find Da Vinci's original work behind the Vasari fresco have so far been inconclusive. Michelangelo never proceeded beyond the preparatory drawings for the fresco he was commissioned to paint on the opposite wall. Pope Julius II called him to Rome to paint the

Sistine Chapel The Sistine Chapel ( ; ; ) is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the pope's official residence in Vatican City. Originally known as the ''Cappella Magna'' ('Great Chapel'), it takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who had it built between 1473 and ...

, and the master's sketches were destroyed by eager young artists who came to study them and took away scraps.^{Missing Ref.} The surviving decorations in this hall were made between 1555 and 1572 by Giorgio Vasari and his helpers, among them

Livio Agresti Livio Agresti (1508–1580), also called Ritius or Ricciutello, was an Italy, Italian painter of the late Renaissance or Mannerism, Mannerist period, active both in his native city of Forlì and in Rome, where he died. He was one of the members of ...

from

Forlì Forlì ( ; ; ; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) and city in Emilia-Romagna, Northern Italy, and is, together with Cesena, the capital of the Province of Forlì-Cesena.The city is situated along the Via Emilia, to the east of the Montone river, ...

. They mark the culmination of

mannerism Mannerism is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, when the Baroque style largely replaced it ...

and make this hall the showpiece of the palace. It has been stated that the ''Salone dei Cinquecento'' is the largest hall in Italy by volume. However, Padova’s '' Palazzo della Ragione'' is 81,5 m long, 27 m wide and 24 m high. Even though ''Salone dei Cinquecento'' with its flat ceiling is close to parallelepiped and ''Palazzo della Ragione''’s hall with open roof is not, the latter's bounding box at 52 800 cubic m is 145% bigger than the 21 500 cubic m of ''Salone di Cinquecento'' (and likely to be larger even accounting for the roof). Giorgio Vasari - The rout of the Pisans at Torre San Vincenzo - Google Art Project

Giorgio Vasari - The rout of the Pisans at Torre San Vincenzo - Google Art Project

On the walls are large and expansive frescoes that depict battles and military victories by Florence over

Pisa Pisa ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Tuscany, Central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for the Leaning Tow ...

and

Siena Siena ( , ; traditionally spelled Sienna in English; ) is a city in Tuscany, in central Italy, and the capital of the province of Siena. It is the twelfth most populated city in the region by number of inhabitants, with a population of 52,991 ...

: *''The Taking of Siena'' *''The Conquest of Porto Ercole'' *''The Victory of Cosimo I at Marciano in Val di Chiana'' *''Defeat of the Pisans at the Tower of San Vincenzo'' *''Maximilian of Austria Attempts the Conquest of Leghorn'' *''Pisa Attacked by the Florentine Troops'' The ceiling consists of 39 panels constructed and painted by Vasari and his assistants, representing ''Great Episodes from the Life of Cosimo I'', the quarters of the city, and the city itself. The center shows his

apotheosis Apotheosis (, ), also called divinization or deification (), is the glorification of a subject to divine levels and, commonly, the treatment of a human being, any other living thing, or an abstract idea in the likeness of a deity. The origina ...

: ''Scene of His Glorification as Grand Duke of Florence and Tuscany''. On the north side of the hall, illuminated by enormous windows, is the raised stage called the ''Udienza'', built by Bartolommeo Bandinelli for Cosimo I as a place to receive citizens and ambassadors. Above are frescoes of historical events; among these, that of Boniface VIII receiving the ambassadors of foreign States and, seeing that were all Florentines, saying: "You Florentines are the quintessence." In the niches are sculptures by Bandinelli: in the center the statue of the seated Leo X (sculpted assisted by his student Vincenzo de' Rossi), and on the right a statue of ''Charles V Crowned by Clement VII.'' The six statues along the walls that represent the

labors of Hercules Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the labo ...

are by de' Rossi. In the central niche at the south of the Hall is Michelangelo's noted marble group '' The Genius of Victory'' (1532–1534), originally intended for the tomb of Julius II. The statue was placed in this hall by Vasari. In 1868 it was removed to the Bargello Museum, but was returned in 1921 by officials.

Studiolo of Francesco I

At the end of the hall is a small side room without windows. The studiolo was a small secret study designed by Vasari in a manneristic style (1570–1575). The walls and the barrel vault are filled with paintings, stucco and sculptures. Most paintings are by the School of Vasari and represent the four elements: fire, water, earth, and air. The portrait of Cosimo I and his wife Eleonora of Toledo was painted by

Bronzino Agnolo di Cosimo (; 17 November 150323 November 1572), usually known as Bronzino ( ) or Agnolo Bronzino, was an Italians, Italian Mannerism, Mannerist painter from Florence. His sobriquet, ''Bronzino'', may refer to his relatively dark skin or r ...

. The delicate bronze sculptures were made by Giambologna and Bartolomeo Ammanati. From a peep-hole, Francesco spied on his ministers and officers during meetings in the Salone dei Cinquecento. Dismantled within decades of its construction, it was re-assembled in the 20th century. The other rooms on the first floor are the ''Quartieri monumentali''. These rooms, the Residence of the Priors and the Quarters of Leo X, are used by the mayor as offices and reception rooms. They are not accessible to the public.

Second Floor

A staircase designed by Vasari leads to the second floor. This floor contains the Apartments of the Elements, Priori, and Eleonora of Toledo.

Apartments of the Elements

These apartments (''Sala degli Elementi'') consist of five rooms (such as the Room of Ceres) and two

loggia In architecture, a loggia ( , usually , ) is a covered exterior Long gallery, gallery or corridor, often on an upper level, sometimes on the ground level of a building. The corridor is open to the elements because its outer wall is only parti ...

s. The commission for these rooms was originally given by Cosimo I to Giovanni Battista del Tasso. But on his death, the decorations were continued by Vasari and his helpers, working for the first time for the Medicis. These rooms were the private quarters of Cosimo I.

Room of the Elements

The walls in the Room of the Elements are filled with allegorical frescoes ''Allegories of Water, Fire and Earth'' and, on the ceiling, represents ''Saturn''. The original statue ''Boy with a Fish'' by Verrocchio is on exhibit in one of the smaller rooms (the copy stands on the fountain in the first courtyard).

Terrace of Saturn

Named for the fresco on the ceiling. There is a southeastern view to

Piazzale Michelangelo Piazzale Michelangelo (Michelangelo Square) is a square with a panoramic view of Florence, Italy, located in the Oltrarno district. History This Squares of Florence, Florentine piazza was designed by architect Giuseppe Poggi and built in 1869 on ...

and the Fortress Belvedere. Also visible are the remains of the Church of San Piero Scheraggio.

The Hercules Room

This room (the Sala di Ercole) gets its name from the subject of the paintings on the ceiling. Also the tapestries show stories of

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...

. The room contains a ''Madonna and Child'' and an ebony cabinet called a ''stipo'' inlaid with semi-precious stones.

The Lion House

Cosimo the Elder kept a menagerie of lions in a dedicated lion house in the palazzo. He often fought them or baited them against other animals in large festivals for visiting Popes or dignitaries.

The Room of Jupiter

The room is named for the fresco on the ceiling. On the walls are Florentine tapestries made from cartoons by Stradanus (16th century).

The Room of Cybele

On the ceiling, the ''Triumph of Cybele'' and the ''Four Seasons''. Against the walls are cabinets in tortoise shell and bronze. The floor was made in 1556. From the window one can see the third courtyard.

The Ceres Room

The room gets its name from the motif on the ceiling, by Doceno, a pupil of Vasari. On the walls are Florentine tapestries with hunting scenes, from cartoons by Stradanus.

Apartments of Eleonora of Toledo

Beginning in 1540 when Cosimo moved the seat of government here, these rooms were refurbished and richly decorated to be the living quarters of Eleonora.

Sala Verde

This room served as Eleonora's bedchamber and was called the Green Room because of the color of the walls. The decorations on the ceiling are by Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio. A small door in the room indicates the beginning of the Vasari corridor, a passageway to the Palazzo Pitti built by Vasari for Cosimo I.

Cappella di Eleonora

Agnolo Bronzino - The crossing of the Red Sea - Google Art Project

The small, richly decorated chapel adjoining the Sala Verde is painted in fresco by the mannerist Angelo Bronzino and includes some of his masterpieces including the ''

Crossing the Red Sea The Parting of the Red Sea or Crossing of the Red Sea (, lit. "parting of the sea of reeds") is an episode in The Exodus, a foundational story in the Hebrew Bible. It tells of the escape of the Israelites, led by Moses, from the pursuing Egypt ...

.'' It was built by Tasso to be Eleonora's private chapel.

The Room of the Sabines

It was named because of the ceiling decoration. At one time it was used for the Ladies-in-waiting at the court of Eleonora di Toledo. It contains ''Portraits of Medici Princes'' by Sustermans, statues by a Florentine art school and a tapestry by Fevère.

Dining Room

On the ceiling is the ''Coronation of Esther'' decorated by Stradanus, with an inscription in honor of Eleonora di Toledo. The room contains a lavabo and two tapestries by Van Assel representing ''Spring and Autumn''.

The Room of Penelope

On the ceiling ''Penelope at the loom'', in the frieze, ''episodes from the Odyssey''. On the walls: ''Madonna and Child'' and a ''Madonna and Child with St. John'' by

Botticelli Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi ( – May 17, 1510), better known as Sandro Botticelli ( ; ) or simply known as Botticelli, was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. Botticelli's posthumous reputation suffered until the late 1 ...

The Room of Gualdrada

This room is dedicated to Virtue as personified by Gualdrada. The ceiling painting of Gualdrada is by the Flemish painter Stradanus, better known under his Italian name Stradanus. Against the wall is a cabinet with Florentine mosaic designs.

Apartments of the Priori

These rooms were used by the ''priori'' (priors) representing the guilds of Florence.

Sala dell'Udienza

The Audience Chamber or Hall of Justice used to house the meetings of the priors. It contains the oldest decorations in the palace. The carved coffer ceiling, laminated with pure gold, is by Giuliano da Maiano (1470–1476). On the portal to the Chapel of the Signoria is an inscription in honor of Christ (1529). The doorway to the Hall of Lilies has marble mouldings sculpted by the brothers Giuliano and Benedetto da Maiano. The inlaid woodwork (

intarsia Intarsia is a form of wood inlaying that is similar to marquetry. The practice dates from before the seventh century AD. The technique inserts sections of wood (at times with contrasting ivory or bone, or mother-of-pearl) within the solid wood ...

) on the doors was carved by Del Francione and depicts portraits of Dante and

Petrarch Francis Petrarch (; 20 July 1304 – 19 July 1374; ; modern ), born Francesco di Petracco, was a scholar from Arezzo and poet of the early Italian Renaissance, as well as one of the earliest Renaissance humanism, humanists. Petrarch's redis ...

. The large frescoes on the walls portraying the ''Stories of Furius Camillus'' by Francesco Salviati were made in the middle of the 16th century. Since Salviati had his schooling in the circle around

Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), now generally known in English as Raphael ( , ), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of paintings by Raphael, His work is admired for its cl ...

in Rome, these frescoes are based on Roman models and not typical of Florentine art. Marcus Furius Camillus was a Roman general mentioned in the writings of

Plutarch Plutarch (; , ''Ploútarchos'', ; – 120s) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo (Delphi), Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for his ''Parallel Lives'', ...

Chapel of the Signoria

A small doorway leads into the adjoining small chapel dedicated to St. Bernard, containing a reliquary of the Saint. Here the priors used to supply divine aid in the execution of their duties. In this chapel, Girolamo Savonarola said his last prayers before he was hanged on the Piazza della Signoria and his body burned. The frescoes on the walls and ceiling, on a background imitating gold mosaic, are by Ridolfo Ghirlandaio. Of particular interest are ''The Holy Trinity'' on the ceiling and ''The Annunciation'' on the wall facing the altar. On the altar was a painting representing the ''Holy Family'' by Mariano Graziadei da Pescia, a pupil of Ridolfo Ghirlandaio. It is now on exhibition in the corridor of the Uffizi Gallery. Instead, there is a good painting of St. Bernard by an unknown artist.

Sala dei Gigli

The carved ceiling of the Hall of the Lilies, as this room is usually called, decorated with ''fleur-de-lys'', and the ''Statue of St. John the Baptist and Putti'' are all by Benedetto da Maiano and his brother Giuliano. The golden fleur-de-lys decorations on blue background on the ceiling and three walls refer to the (short-lived) good relations between Florence and the French Crown. On the wall are frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandaio, painted in 1482. The apotheosis of

St. Zenobius Saint Zenobius () (337–417) who was the first bishop of Florence. Venerated in the Catholic Church, his feast day is celebrated on May 25. Life Born of a Florentine noble family, Zenobius was educated by his Paganism, pagan parents. He came ...

, first patron saint of Florence, was painted with a perspectival illusion of the background. In this background one can see the cathedral, with its original facade and Giotto's bell tower. In the

above is a

bas-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces remain attached to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb , to raise (). To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

of the Madonna and Child. This fresco is flanked on both sides by frescoes of famed Romans: on the left '' Brutus, Gaius Mucius Scaevola and Marcus Furius Camillus'', and on the right ''Decius, Scipio and Cicero''. Medaillons of Roman emperors fill the

s between the sections. After its lengthy restoration, the (original) statue " Judith and Holofernes" by

Donatello Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi ( – 13 December 1466), known mononymously as Donatello (; ), was an Italian Renaissance sculpture, Italian sculptor of the Renaissance period. Born in Republic of Florence, Florence, he studied classical sc ...

was given a prominent place in this room in 1988. A door in the east wall leads to the ''Stanza della Guardaroba'' (Hall of Geographical Maps). This door is flanked by two dark marble pillars, originally from a Roman temple.

Stanza delle Mappe geografiche o Stanza della Guardaroba

Egnazio Danti - British Isles - Google Art Project

The Hall of Geographical Maps or ''Guardaroba'' was an ambitious room that set out to represent the known world of the 16th century through the display of a collection of artifacts and murals of cartography, all seen in relation to scientific instruments of time and astronomy. For various reasons, it was not seen to completion, yet the accounts of

, the room's designer, detail the proposed purpose and visualisation of the space. The Guardaroba was commissioned by Cosimo I de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany during his major reconstruction of the interior of the Palazzo. Construction of the ''guardaroba'' began in 1563. The idea behind the guardaroba is similar to that of late medieval studioli, which were small private study spaces, containing precious collected artifacts. Many courtly residences possessed similar spaces to the ''guardaroba'', yet the guardaroba of Palazzo della Signoria is one of the earliest examples that integrates cartography into its decorative elements. ''Guardaroba'' best translates to a type of storage space, or ‘wardrobe’ and its purpose was to house a collection; an early ''wunderkammer'' of sorts. Evidently, collections of artifacts and precious items existed before the Renaissance, yet it is not until the Renaissance that there consistently appeared collections which were preserved and interpreted, known as wunderkammen. Vasari's account of the program for the guardaroba highlights Cosimo I's instructions to create a space for some of the more precious items in the

collection. He had also instructed Vasari to design the space so it was fit for visitors, ultimately becoming a semi-public gallery space. Master carpenter Dionigi di Matteo Nigetti (active in Florence 1565–1579) constructed the finely crafted and carved walnut cabinets and ceiling panels that can still all be found in the room today. Each of the doors was to be decorated with an up-to-date map of a particular region. Vasari called the map murals, Tables of Ptolemy, recognising Claudius Ptolemaeus (AD b.127–d.145) significant contributions to the history and progress of cartography. The responsibility of painting the Tables of Ptolemy was entrusted to renowned cosmographer Egnazio Danti, who was later responsible for the maps in the Vatican Galleria, Hall of Maps. Each map mural, of which there were to be 57 in total, was painted directly onto the cabinet doors, 53 of these Murals remain today. The regions depicted in the map would correspond to a collection of objects and artifacts within that cabinet. The map murals were arranged across the cabinet doors in two horizontal rows representing the hemispheres and navigated most of the perimeter of the room, only interrupted at the doorway and window. A layout of maps in this fashion came to be known as a "map cycle", a term Cosimo I's guardaroba likely initiated. The map cycle is divided into sections of the then known four continents, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. The ''guardaroba'' was one of the more unusual projects commissioned by Cosimo I and therefore, Vasari wrote concisely on its programme and its progress.

"Over the doors of those cupboards within their ornaments, Fra Egnazio has distributed fifty seven pictures about two braccia high and wide in proportion, in which are painted in oils on the wood with the greatest diligence, after the manner of miniatures, the Tables of Ptolemy, all measured with perfect accuracy and corrected after the most recent authorities, with exact charts of navigation and their scales for measuring and degrees, done with supreme diligence; and with these are all the names both ancient and modern. ... The images of plants and animals are exactly in line with the maps. ... The terrestrial globe is marked distinctly and it is possible to use it for all the operations of the astrolabe perfectly." – Giorgio Vasari, ''
Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects ''The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects'' () is a series of artist biographies written by 16th-century Italian painter and architect Giorgio Vasari, which is considered "perhaps the most famous, and even today the ...
''

As well as the maps on the cabinets, other images adorned the room. Up to 300 portraits of famous people of the day hung around highest perimeters of the walls and would be revealed from beneath green cloth curtains. In between the cabinets doors, were to be mounted natural history drawings of flora and fauna that, as Vasari indicated above, would have been in line with its corresponding regions on the maps in a similar fashion to the objects that are revealed from beneath their corresponding region. The collected artifacts were arranged and maintained by curators and conservators known as guardarobiere, in a similar manner to the role of the contemporary museum. The rarer an item, the more attractive it was to the collector and desired for the collection. Objects from the Americas or

New World The term "New World" is used to describe the majority of lands of Earth's Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas, and sometimes Oceania."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: ...

as it was then referred to, were particularly valuable at this time as Italians were not allowed to travel there without permission from

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

. Instead, they explored this region vicariously through objects and the Medici possessed a significant collection of artifacts from the Americas, largely collecting featherwork. Vasari intended the worldly representation in the ''guardaroba'' to be seen in relation to the larger cosmos, represented by a celestial sphere in the centre of the room and painted constellations on the ceiling. He also had grand visions of two large globes, a terrestrial and celestial hidden behind a false ceiling that could be lowered impressively via a pulley system into the room below. The room was also to display a copy of the 1484 clock made for

Lorenzo de Medici Lorenzo di Piero de' Medici (), known as Lorenzo the Magnificent (; 1 January 1449 – 9 April 1492), was an Italian statesman, the '' de facto'' ruler of the Florentine Republic, and the most powerful patron of Renaissance culture in Italy. Lo ...

by Lorenzo della Volpaia. An Antonio Santucci (b.? d.1613) armillary sphere that is now at the Florence Museum of the History of Science, was also displayed in the ''guardaroba'' along with a second, earlier armillary sphere that is now lost. It is the relationships between these objects and maps and the context for which they are shown that produces intended symbolic gestures; the clock, in relation to the maps, in relation to the celestial representations were an attempt to generate an effect of possessed knowledge over all space and time and in the case of the guardaroba, Cosimo I de Medici was to be seen as the possessor and purveyor of this knowledge, generating a narrative of his power. A digital reconstruction of the room, as it was designed and described by Giorgio Vasari can be foun
here

Old Chancellery

This was Machiavelli's office when he was Secretary of the Republic. His polychrome bust in terracotta and his portrait are by Santi di Tito. They are probably modelled on his death mask. In the center of the room, on the pedestal is the famous ''Winged Boy with a Dolphin'' by Verrocchio, brought to this room from the First Courtyard.

Mezzanine

Located in between the first and second floors, these rooms are occupied by Renaissance and Medieval objects given in a bequest by Charles Loeser, an American expat collector and scholar. This collection is one of the most valuable municipal collections for its artistic and historical value. The rooms are located in the old palace, and were renovated in the mid-15th century by Michelozzo. It is the only part of the palace where the original 14th- and 15th-century ceilings are still entirely visible. Cosimo I's mother Maria Salviati lived in these rooms after Cosimo moved the family from Palazzo Medici to the (at that point Palazzo Ducale). The first room holds a ''Madonna con Bambino e san Giovannino'', from the school of Lorenzo di Credi, a ''Madonna col Bambino'' in stucco painted in the Florentine school in the 15th century, a ''Madonna in Adoration by Christ with Saint Giovannino'' by Jacopo del Sellaio, a ''Madonna and Child'' attributed to Master of the Griggs Crucifix (15th century), and a ''Madonna Enthroned'' by the Tuscan school of the 14th century. Above the stone steps is a little room that was for a time a studiolo for Cosimo I. The window looks out over and the room is decorated with birds, animals, fishes, and vegetal elements works by Bachiacca. The dining room holds one of the most famous works of the Loeser Collection, ''The Portrait of Laura Battiferri'' (wife of Bartolomeo Ammannati), by famous Renaissance painter

around 1555. Adjacent is another

Mannerist Mannerism is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, when the Baroque style largely replaced it ...

work, ''The Portrait of Ludovico Martelli'', by a follower of Pontormo, possibly Michele Tosini. There is also a small sketch on fresco, ''Battle of the Knights'' for Vasari's ''Defeat of the Pisans at the Tower of Saint Vincent'', by a student Giovan Francesco Naldini, which used to be displayed on the balcony above the Salone dei Cinquecento by Vasari's complementary monumental work. By the fireplace are two Romanesque sculptures, a capital with an eagle (first half of the 13th century) and a Coronation Head (first half of 12th century). In the corner room, three Madonna and Children paintings are on display. The first, ''Madonna and Child'' is by the Master of Saints Flora and Lucilla, from the 14th century. The second, ''Madonna and Child with Saint Little Saint John'' is a later Renaissance work by Spanish artist

Alonso Berruguete Alonso González de Berruguete ( – 1561) was a Spanish Painting, painter, Sculpture, sculptor and architect. He is considered to be the most important sculptor of the Spanish Renaissance, and is known for his emotive sculptures depicting re ...

from 1514 to 1518, and the third is ''Madonna and Child'' by prominent Sienese artist

Pietro Lorenzetti Pietro Lorenzetti (; – 1348) or Pietro Laurati was an Italian painter, active between and 1345. Together with his younger brother Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Ambrogio, he introduced Realism (arts), naturalism into Sienese School, Sienese art. In the ...

. This room also holds ''Adoring Angel'' by Tino di Camaino from around 1321, a ''Bust of Saint Antonino'' in painted plaster from the 15th century, and an embroidery designed by Raffaellino del Garbo.

Multaka network

In 2019, the museum joined six similar museums in Germany, the United Kingdom, Greece and Switzerland, creating the international Multaka network. This intercultural museum project organizes guided tours for refugees and migrants designed and offered for free by specially trained Arabic-speaking Multaka guides. The visitor-centered discussions with migrants in their language are focused on the historical origin and history of acquisition of cultural objects, including the visitors' own understanding of their country's

cultural heritage Cultural heritage is the heritage of tangible and intangible heritage assets of a group or society that is inherited from past generations. Not all heritages of past generations are "heritage"; rather, heritage is a product of selection by socie ...

Notes

References

*Bartlett, Kenneth R. (1992). ''The Civilization of the Italian Renaissance''. Toronto: D.C. Heath and Company. (Paperback). *The Monogram of Christ at the entrance
Florence Art Guide

External links

– Musei civici fiorentiniAssociation Mus.e – proposes guided tours and workshops for families
within

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* {{Authority control Art museums and galleries in Florence City and town halls in Italy

Vecchio (; : ; meaning 'old one' or simply 'old') is a category of aged, male characters from Italian commedia dell'arte theatre. The primary members of this group are Pantalone, il Dottore, and il Capitano. Pantalone and il Dottore are the alter ego ...

13th century in the Republic of Florence 13th-century establishments in Italy Buildings and structures completed in the 13th century Gothic architecture in Florence Medieval Italian architecture Medici residences