All Palaces in Tuscany

Palazzo Levi is a large civil building in the historic center of Florence, located in Piazza della Repubblica. It stands at the corner of Via de’ Brunelleschi, Via de’ Tosinghi, and Via Roma, one of the most central urban areas in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. The palace is also known as Palazzo della Fondiaria Assicurazioni, because from 1893 it became connected with Fondiaria Assicurazioni. It was built between 1890 and 1893, during the major redevelopment of the old central district around today’s Piazza della Repubblica. Palazzo Levi is important because it occupies the site of the former Jewish Ghetto of Florence. Its history connects the medieval city, the nineteenth-century transformation of Florence, the rise of bourgeois architecture, and the modern commercial life of Piazza della Repubblica. The building is not a Renaissance palace in the historical sense. It is a Neo-Renaissance palace, designed in the late nineteenth century by the architect Giuseppe Boccini. Its monumental façade, large scale, and central position make it a visible landmark in the urban fabric of central Florence. Today, Palazzo Levi forms an entire block and includes important commercial and institutional spaces. On the ground floor are the historic cafés Gilli and Paszkowski, two well-known addresses Read more [...]

Palazzo Lenzi is a palace in Florence, located in Piazza Ognissanti, in the western part of the historical center of the city.   SHORT HISTORY The palace was built around the year 1470 by the Lenzi family on a design by an unknown architect. The Lenzi family resided in the palace until the middle of the 17th century, when the palace was bought by the Buini family, who modernized the interior. In 1765, the palace passed to the Quaratesi family. In the 19th century, Palazzo Lenzi was used as a hotel, under the name of Locanda di Russia. Around the middle of the 19th century, the whole area changed its appearance, with the construction of Palazzo Giuntini and the Hotel Excelsior. At the end of the 19th century, the palace was purchased by the antiquarian Luigi Pisani, who began a series of important restorations. The works were supervised by the architect Luigi Del Moro and the painter Pietro Baldancoli. After the restorations were completed, Luigi Pisani placed his art and antiques gallery in the palace. In 1908, the palace became the seat of the French Institute of the University of Grenoble. Then, in 1912, it became the seat of the Read more [...]

Palazzo Corsini al Parione is one of the most sumptuous private palaces in Florence, located on the homonymous Lungarno Corsini, halfway between Ponte Santa Trinita and Ponte alla Carraia.   SHORT HISTORY Until the 16th century, there were various buildings on this area, the most important of them being the Casino del Parione and the house of the lawyer Tommaso Compagni, decorated by a fresco with the Nine Muses by Bernardino Poccetti. The land was owned first by the Marquis of Marignano, then by Giovanni de’ Medici, son of Cosimo I and Eleonora degli Albizi. In 1621, the property passed to Cardinal Giovan Carlo de’ Medici, and in 1640 it was sold to Maddalena Machiavelli, mother of Bartolomeo Corsini. Bartolomeo Corsini began the construction of a new building in 1656, initially with the contribution of the architect Alfonso Parigi the Younger, who was succeeded later by Ferdinando Tacca, and by Pierfrancesco Silvani. After Silvani’s death in 1685, the work was continued by Antonio Maria Ferri, who gave the current appearance to the structure: the three bodies articulated around a central courtyard, the monumental staircase and the facade on Lungarno Corsini. Today, the palace is still partly inhabited by the descendants Read more [...]

Palazzo Gianfigliazzi Bonaparte is a palace in Florence, located on Lungarno Corsini, about 60 meters away from Ponte Santa Trinita.   SHORT HISTORY Until the end of the 18th century, Palazzo Gianfigliazzi Bonaparte was the property of the noble Gianfigliazzi family, who also owned the adjacent Palazzo Gianfigliazzi. In 1825, the palace was bought by Louis Bonaparte, the younger brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, and the former King of Holland in exile. Later, the palace was used as a hotel called Delle Quattro Nazioni (Of the Four Nations). In 1827, as a plaque on the facade recalls, the Italian writer and poet Alessandro Manzoni lived there for a month. Around the middle of the 19th century, the palace was owned by the Lamporecchi family, who sold it to the Belgian Van der Linden d’Hooghvorst. At that time, the building was restored by the architect Bartolommeo Silvestri, who rearranged the windows on the facade and closed the panoramic loggia on the top floor. Changes were also made to the interior, where the halls were renovated to host sumptuous receptions. At the end of the 19th century, Palazzo Gianfigliazzi Bonaparte was sold to the Cesaroni Venanzi family. Today, it belongs to the Campodonico Read more [...]

Palazzo Gianfigliazzi is a palace in Florence, located on Lungarno Corsini, about 50 meters away from Ponte Santa Trinita.   SHORT HISTORY The palace was built by the Ruggerini family in the 13th century, then passed to the Fastelli-Petribuoni family. At the beginning of the 15th century, it became the property of the Gianfigliazzi family. In the 17th century, the palace was renovated by the architect Gherardo Silvani. Towards the middle of the following century, it was rented to Princess Louise of Stolberg-Gedern, wife of Charles Edward Stuart, pretender to the English throne. In 1853, the building passed to the Masetti family, who enlarged it by one floor and changed the arrangement of the windows on the facade. Today, Palazzo Gianfigliazzi belongs to a real estate company, and houses the 4-Star hotel Palazzo Alfieri Residenza d’Epoca.   HOW TO GET THERE Palazzo Gianfigliazzi is located about 1 kilometer away from the Santa Maria Novella railway station. The closest bus stop is Frescobaldi, located in Piazza de’ Frescobaldi, about 180 meters away, on the bus Lines 11, C3 and C4.

Palazzo della Borsa is a large palace in Florence, located on Lungarno Diaz, about 100 meters away from the Uffizi Gallery.   SHORT HISTORY The area in which the palace currently stands was occupied until the mid-19th century by Tiratoio delle Grazie, an edifice belonging to the guild of Arte della Lana (Wool Art). When the ancient guilds were dissolved by the Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo, the site was chosen for a large building suitable for housing the Chamber of Commerce, the Stock Exchange and the Tuscan National Bank. Palazzo della Borsa was built between 1858 and 1860 on a project by the young architect Michelangelo Maiorfi, reworked with significant changes by Emilio De Fabris. Around 1915, the entrance from Piazza dei Giudici was opened, and some internal works were carried out based on a project by the architect Ugo Giusti. An intervention by the architect Ezio Cerpi, which led to the raising of the entire attic, thus obtaining the second floor and bringing the structure to its current volume, is dated to 1931. The smooth plaster on the facade and the construction of a large hall in the eastern side of the palace, intended for the Stock Exchange, date Read more [...]

Palazzo Malenchini Alberti is a palace in Florence, located in Via dei Benci, at the intersection with Lungarno Generale Diaz.   SHORT HISTORY The noble family of Alberti di Catenaia settled in this area of Florence in the first half of the 13th century. The family purchased several properties and merged them to form a large structure in which they resided. Between 1760 and 1763, the fronts of the buildings were unified into a single facade, on the initiative of Giovan Vincenzo Alberti, Count of the Holy Roman Empire. Giovan Vincenzo’s son, Leon Battista, died without heirs in 1836, and the palace passed to a nephew belonging to the Mori Ubaldini family. Between 1838 and 1839, the new family renovated the palace, under the direction of the architect Vittorio Bellini. Other interventions took place between 1849 and 1851 by the architects Odoardo Razzi and Niccolò Salvi. The first created the Neo-Renaissance facade, inaugurated in 1850. The second took care of the loggia on the northern side of the palace’s garden. At the end of the 19th century, the palace was bought at auction by the Dukes of Chaulnes, distant descendants of the Alberti. In 1887, they left Florence, and the Read more [...]

Palazzo delle Assicurazioni Generali, also known as Palazzo Lavison, is an imposing palace in Florence, located in Piazza della Signoria, across the square from Palazzo Vecchio.   SHORT HISTORY Around 1864, some buildings in the area, such as the ancient Tower of the Infangati (Torre degli Infangati), the Church of Santa Cecilia, the seat of Arte del Cambio and the Pisani Loggia (Loggia dei Pisani), were demolished. In 1871, the Baron Edoardo Lavison commissioned the architect Giovanni Carlo Landi to build a palace in their place. In 1872, on the corner with Via Vacchereccia, the Rivoire Café was opened by the chocolatier and pastry chef Enrico Rivoire, which became over time one of the most famous places in Florence. After it was owned by the Fenzi banking family, the palace was purchased at the beginning of the 20th century by the Assicurazioni Generali company. Between 2010 and 2011, the palace was the subject of a structural consolidation and rehabilitation intervention. It was inaugurated in January 2012, under the new name of Palazzo del Leone.   ARCHITECTURE The facade of the palace develops on four floors. On the ground floor, there are 9 arches occupied by large windows, except for the Read more [...]

Palazzo della Fraternita dei Laici is a historic palace overlooking Piazza Grande, the monumental heart of Arezzo. Construction began during the fourteenth century, but the building developed through several distinct phases, combining medieval stonework, Renaissance sculpture and sixteenth-century architectural additions within a single façade. Palazzo della Fraternita dei Laici occupies a prestigious position between the apse of the Church of Santa Maria della Pieve and the Logge Vasari. Its location reflects the importance acquired by the Fraternita dei Laici, an institution established in Arezzo in 1262 and closely connected with the city’s social, charitable and cultural development. Originally known as the Fraternita di Santa Maria della Misericordia, the organization assisted poor residents, transported and buried the dead and administered donations received from local benefactors. It gradually accumulated enough property and financial resources to support hospitals, schools, public infrastructure, artistic commissions and cultural institutions. Palazzo della Fraternita dei Laici is especially recognizable for its façade, where the Gothic lower level is joined to a Renaissance upper section and a bell gable designed by Giorgio Vasari. The latter contains an astronomical clock constructed in 1552 and still operated through its historic mechanical system. The building now accommodates the Fraternita dei Laici Museum, Read more [...]

Palazzo delle Logge, also known as Logge Vasari, is a large Renaissance-style palace in Arezzo, located in the beautiful Piazza Grande.   SHORT HISTORY In 1384, Arezzo was annexed to the Tuscan state dominated by Florence, and during the following centuries the Florentine influence became visible in the architecture of the city. In 1560, Piazza Grande changed radically, at the behest of Cosimo I de’ Medici. As a demonstration of the strength of the Florentine lordship, he demolished Palazzo del Popolo, Palazzo del Comune and other buildings located in the northern part of the square. The new layout of the square was designed by Giorgio Vasari, who started Palazzo delle Logge in 1573, one year before his death. The palace was completed in 1595 by the architect Alfonso Parigi.   ARCHITECTURE Palazzo delle Logge has a bright, yellow facade, on which the profiles of the architectural elements – pillars, arches, cornices, and windows with low arched tympanum, stand out. The palace has a long portico under which the entrances of the ancient shops, with the characteristic parapets, open. In the center of the loggia, a short staircase connects Piazza Grande with Piazza del Praticino, located higher on the San Pietro Read more [...]

Palazzo Sansedoni is a medieval palace located on the northern side of Piazza del Campo, in Siena. Today, the palace houses the Monte dei Paschi di Siena Foundation.   SHORT HISTORY The palace takes its name from the noble Sansedoni family, one of the most powerful families of Siena during the Middle Ages. Palazzo Sansedoni was built at the beginning of the 13th century, by joining several ancient buildings. In 1339, the architect Agostino di Giovanni oversaw the reconstruction and expansion of the palace. The majestic brick facade of the palace facing the square dates back to an 18th-century renovation in Gothic style by the architect Ferdinando Ruggieri.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE The concave facade of Palazzo Sansedoni, which follows the curvature of the square, is composed of four orders, three of them with trifore mullioned windows. The facade is topped by battlements above a frieze of round arches. The tower of the palace, positioned asymmetrically to the left of the building, was truncated in 1760, because Torre del Mangia, located nearby, had to be the tallest building in the square. Inside, various rooms have 18th-century decorations, work of Francesco Melani, Giuseppe Melani and Gian Domenico Ferretti. Anton Domenico Gabbiani Read more [...]

Palazzo Chigi Zondadari is an 18th-century palace in Siena, located on the northeast side of Piazza del Campo, adjacent to Palazzo Sansedoni.   SHORT HISTORY The palace, which dates back to the 14th century, was rebuilt starting with 1724 on a project by Antonio Valeri, comissioned by Cardinal Antonio Felice Zondadari. Although the cardinal lived in Rome, he would often return to Siena to rest in his palace. Zondadari is typically a Sienese surname, and it comes from the ancient Zendadari, sellers of zendadi (silk fabrics).   ART The interior rooms were frescoed by various artists, including Marco Benefial, Placido Costanzi and Giuseppe Colignon, while some paintings are the work of Giambattista Marchetti, Roman painter comissioned by Giuseppe Flavio Chigi Zondadari. Inside, there is also a bust of Alessandro VII Chigi, the work of the famous sculptor and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini.   HOW TO GET THERE Palazzo Chigi Zondadari is located about 1.9 kilometers away from the Siena railway station. The closest bus stop is Logge Del Papa Bibo, located about 60 meters away, on the bus Line 590.

Palazzo delle Poste is a palace located in the historical center of Siena, in Piazza Giacomo Matteotti. The palace houses the local headquarters of the Italian Post (Italy’s national postal service provider).   SHORT HISTORY At the beginning of the 20th century, the ancient Church of Sant’Egidio and the former Capuchin convent located in Piazza Umberto I, today Piazza Giacomo Matteotti, were demolished, and the entire area was restructured. On September 18, 1910, the first stone of the new Palazzo delle Poste was laid. The works, entrusted to the architect Vittorio Mariani and carried out by the Sienese construction company of Pietro Ciabattini, lasted exactly two years. The new Palazzo delle Poste e Telecomunicazioni was inaugurated on September 20, 1912.   HOW TO GET THERE Palazzo delle Poste is located about 1.5 kilometers away from the Siena railway station. The closest bus stop is located in Viale Federico Tozzi, about 140 meters away, on the bus Lines 0S1, 0S3, 0S6, 501, 506, 616, 640 and S18.

Palazzo Salimbeni, also known as Rocca Salimbeni, is a palace located in the historical center of Siena, in Piazza Salimbeni. The palace houses the headquarters of the Monte dei Paschi di Siena Bank.   SHORT HISTORY Palazzo Salimbeni was built in the 14th century, by expanding a pre-existing castle from the 12th century belonging to the Salimbeni family. The rear of the palace shows signs of its previous medieval construction. In 1419, the palace was confiscated by the Sienese Republic and partly used as the headquarters of the Salt Customs House. The institution Monte di Pietà (Mount of Piety) was also located here since 1472. In 1866, the building was bought by Monte dei Paschi di Siena. The palace was restored and remodeled in Neo-Gothic style starting with 1877, by the architect Giuseppe Partini. Another restoration was carried out at the beginning of the 20th century by Carlo Ariotti and Vittorio Mariani. At the same time, the other buildings located in the square were also remodeled.   ARCHITECTURE Palazzo Salimbeni has a facade in Sienese Gothic style. The restorations of the 19th and 20th centuries in Neo-Gothic style tried to reproduce the architecture of Siena from the 14th century, with Read more [...]

Palazzo dell’Orologio (Palace of the Clock) is a palace in Pisa, located in Piazza dei Cavalieri, near the more famous Palazzo della Carovana and about 100 meters away from the Church of Santo Stefano dei Cavaleri.   SHORT HISTORY Palazzo dell’Orologio is an ancient medieval building, where the Captain of the People (Capitano del Popolo) resided from 1357, when the palace already belonged to the Gualandi family. When the palace was built, it incorporated the famous Torre della Muda (or della Fame – Tower of Hunger), where in 1289 the Count Ugolino Della Gherardesca, along with his sons and grandchildren, died of hunger. The profile of the tower is still recognizable to the left of the central arch, where the 20th-century four-light window opens today. Starting with 1566, the palace housed the infirmary of the Order of the Knights of Saint Stephen. The health manager was called Bonomo, and for this reason the palace is also known as Palazzo del Bonomo. The current appearance of the palace dates back to 1605-1608, when two neighboring buildings were joined through an arch with a clock, according to a project of Giorgio Vasari from 1554. Between 1607 and 1609, Giovanni Stefano Marucelli and Read more [...]

Villa Bottini, also known as Villa Buonvisi, is a beautiful villa in Lucca, located in Via Elisa, near the medieval Porta San Gervasio.   SHORT HISTORY The villa was built by Bernardino Buonvisi in the second half of the 16th century. In the following centuries, the building undergone various vicissitudes, remaining closed and abandoned for a long time. At the beginning of the 19th century, it was purchased by Elisa Bonaparte, sister of Napoleon. In the early 20th century, it became the property of the Marquises Bottini of Lucca. Subsequently, it passed to the Motroni-Andreozzi family, and then to the Marcheschi family. Finally, it was bought by the region of Tuscany which, after the restoration, ceded it to the Municipality of Lucca. Now it is open to the public, and is used as a representative area of the Municipality and seat of the Culture Office.   ARCHITECTURE The building has a large garden, and is enclosed by a wall with kneeling windows and three portals built in Renaissance style. The main portal is located on Via Elisa, while the other two are located on the sides of the garden. Villa Bottini has a rectangular shape, surmonted by a belvedere loggia. Read more [...]

Palazzo Ducale (Ducal Palace), known once as Palazzo degli Illustrissimi Signori (Palace of the Illustrious Lords) and today as Palazzo della Provincia (Palace of the Province), is an imposing palace located in Piazza Napoleone, in Lucca.   SHORT HISTORY Until the rise of Castruccio Castracani, Duke of Lucca, in the first years of the 14th century, the seat of the government of the Republic was located in Piazza San Michele. Castracani built the vast Augusta Fortress, in which he transfered the entire administrative power of the city. The huge complex of Augusta Fortress, which covered about a fifth of the city, was destroyed by population in 1370, after the Emperor Charles IV, King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor, gave the Republic its freedom. With the new lordship of Paolo Guinigi, a new fortress called Cittadella di Lucca was built on the ruins of the former Fortezza Augusta. In 1430, after the fall of Paolo Guinigi, the Citadel was destroyed as well, but the restored republican government preserved the palace for its headquarters. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Palazzo Pubblico grew without a precise design, with the progressive addition of new buildings. The structure housed the parliament and the Read more [...]

Palazzo della Carovana, also known as Palazzo dei Cavalieri, is a palace with a beautiful facade located in Piazza dei Cavalieri (Knights’ Square), in Pisa, between Palazzo dell’Orologio and the Church of Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri. The palace was once the headquarter of the Order of the Knights of Saint Stephen, but since 1846 it houses Scuola Normale Superiore.   SHORT HISTORY Palazzo della Carovana was built between 1562 and 1564 by the architect Giorgio Vasari, drastically restructuring the medieval Palace of the Elders (Palazzo degli Anziani). Some remains of the old building are still visible along the sides of the palace. In 1810, Napoleon suppressed the Order of the Knights of Saint Stephen, and gave the building to Scuola Normale Superiore, the university he founded. The double-flight marble staircase was built in 1821 by Giuseppe Marchelli and the rear part of the building was added between 1928 and 1930, after a design by Giovanni Girometti, on the occasion of the revival of Scuola Normale.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE Vasari regularized the uneven medieval facade, fusing three arts he mastered – architecture, sculpture and painting. The sgraffiti with allegorical figures and zodiacal signs, designed by Vasari himself and executed by Read more [...]

Palazzo del Consiglio dei Dodici is a palace in Pisa, located in Piazza dei Cavalieri, across the square from Palazzo della Carovana.   SHORT HISTORY The name of the palace changed over time, depending on the institution it hosted. At first, it was Palazzo dell’Archivio during the Middle Ages, then Palazzo dei Priori after the Florentine conquest of 1409, and finally Palazzo del Consiglio dei Dodici, when it passed into the hands of the Order of the Knights of Saint Stephen. The Council of the 12 Knights was, in fact, a decision-making body of the Order. At the end of the 16th century, the palace was renovated by the architect Pietro Francavilla, who also sculpted the statue of Cosimo I located in front of the nearby Palazzo dei Cavalieri. Francavilla brought the palace in line with the surrounding buildings, in terms of height, with a facade decorated in late Renaissance style. The works were completed in 1603, under the Grand Duchy of Ferdinando I de’ Medici, but the transition to the Order of the Knights of Saint Stephen was made only in 1691, when the priors moved to Palazzo Gambacorti.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE The facade of the palace is Read more [...]

Palazzo dell’Opera is a palace located on the northeastern area of Piazza dei Miracoli, in Pisa, to the east of Campo Santo and to the north of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. Until the first years of the 21st century, the palace housed the headquarters of Opera della Primaziale Pisana, which is the entity that manages the Cathedral of Pisa and the monumental complex of Piazza dei Miracoli. Currently, it only holds some offices for the technical staff and, since 2014, it hosts temporary art exhibitions.   SHORT HISTORY The main body of the building, which still maintains its original facade, dates back to 1309, while the expansions date back to the 18th century. The building was in fact the residence of various workers of the cathedral complex: the tailor, the gardener, the bell ringers, until the 19th century, when the administration offices of Opera della Primaziale were brought in the palace.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE The facade shows a Medici coat of arms and marble panels with the initials of Opera del Duomo, as well as an 18th-century plaque commemorating the stay of Charles VIII of France in 1494, and one Read more [...]

Palazzo Vecchio de’ Medici, formerly Palazzo Appiano, is a palace in Pisa, located on the Lungarno Mediceo, about 120 meters away from Palazzo Toscanelli. Today, Palazzo Vecchio de’ Medici is the seat of the Prefecture.   SHORT HISTORY The palace was built in the 13th century, on the site of a previous building dating back to the 11th century. The Appiani family, Lords of Pisa between 1392 and 1398, lived here until 1446, when the palace was bought by the Medici family. Lorenzo de’ Medici often stayed here, as he came to the Tuscan coast to cure his frail health. The King Charles VIII of France, guest of Piero di Lorenzo de’ Medici, also known as Piero the Unfortunate, resided in the palace in 1494, when Florence rebelled against Piero and he was exiled from the city. In 1539, the palace was the residence of Cosimo I de’ Medici. In 1574, Francesco I de’ Medici built a new Medici palace in Pisa, Palazzo Reale, and by 1784, the Medici Palace was sold to Jacopo Finocchietti. In 1871, the architect Ranieri Simonelli was comissioned by Vittoria Spinola, the morganatic daughter of Vittorio Emanuele II, to restore the palace. The architect transformed Read more [...]

Palazzo Giuli Rosselmini Gualandi is a palace in Pisa, located on Lungarno Gambacorti, near the Church of Santa Cristina. The palace has recently become known as Palazzo Blu (Blue Palace), because of the restored color of its plasterwork.   SHORT HISTORY On November 14, 1356, Doge Giovanni Dell’Agnello, owner of some properties in the area, obtained permission to enlarge some of his buildings, thus raising the first nucleus of the palace, a structure composed of large pillars, with two or more modules, joined to form ogival arches, filled with bricks and decorated with single mullioned windows. During the first Florentine domination, between 1406 and 1494, the building underwent considerable changes, due to the decline of the Dell’Agnello family. Passed to the Municipality at the end of the 14th century, it became the property of the Republic of Florence, which used it as the headquarters for the five supervisors of the occupied city, until it was given back to Giovan Bernardino Dell’Agnello. Towards the end of the 16th century, the complex was transformed by the families of Sancasciano and Del Testa. It was precisely Emilio Del Testa, who in 1593 radically transformed the building to a sumptuous late-Renaissance palace, applying a Read more [...]

Palazzo Lanfreducci, also called Palazzo alla Giornata or Palazzo Upezzinghi, after the 19th century owners, is a Mannerist or early Baroque-style palace on the Lungarno Antonio Pacinotti, in Pisa. The building is now the seat of the Rectorate of the University of Pisa.   SHORT HISTORY Built at the behest of Francesco Lanfreducci, Knight of Malta and exponent of an important and ancient family of Pisa from the 13th century, the palace owes its present appearance to the Sienese architect Cosimo Pugliani, who suprevised the works between 1594 and the early 17th century. The Pisans called it Palazzo alla Giornata, inspired by the motto chosen by its owner, located on the architrave of the main portal. One of the many legends raised by the enigmatic motto alla Giornata (at the day) tells that, after a long imprisonment in Algiers, the Knight Lanfreducci placed that inscription above the door as a reflection on the precariousness of life. Behind the palace, there was a church called San Biagio delle Catene, owned by the Lanfreducci family. Torre dei Lanfreducci (Tower of Lanfreducci) is one of Pisa’s best preserved medieval towers, located in the internal courtyard of the palace. The tower, with a rectangular Read more [...]

Palazzo Toscanelli, known until the 19th century as Palazzo Lanfranchi, is a Renaissance-style palace located on Lungarno Mediceo, in Pisa, about 120 meters away of Palazzo Vecchio de’ Medici. Since 1913, the palace is the seat of the State Archive (Archivio di Stato di Pisa), which holds an impressive collection of documents from the archives of the Pisan Republic. Over time, the archive was enriched with documents from the Pisan monasteries or donations from private individuals belonging to noble Tuscan families.   SHORT HISTORY The palace was built in the first half of the 16th century by Bartolomeo Lanfranchi. Another palace commissioned later by Alessandro Lanfranchi stands across the Arno River. In 1576, the palace was refurbished after a design by Francesco Mosca. Lord Byron lived in the palace between 1821 and 1822. From here, the English poet left for Greece, where he died in 1824. The Toscanelli family bought the palace in 1827. The current appearance of the building dates back to the same 19th century, when Palazzo Toscanelli was renovated by the architect Alessandro Gherardesca. Giovan Battista Toscanelli and his wife, Angiola Cipriani, lived in the palace, gaining over time a large and prominent art collection. Among the Read more [...]

Palazzo Prini-Aulla, also known as Palazzo Mazzarosa, is a palace in Pisa, built in Neo-Renaissance style, located on Lungarno Antonio Pacinotti, at number 45.   SHORT HISTORY The palace was built around 1830 at the behest of the Prini-Aulla family, who kept the property until the beginning of the 20th century. The architect was Alessandro Gherardesca, who built the palace by merging some medieval houses and by closing an alley whose access corresponded with the entrance door of the current structure. Over time, famous people lived in the palace, such as the Italian philosopher and poet Giacomo Leopardi, the French writer Xavier de Maistre, or the French poet Alphonse de Lamartine.   ARCHITECTURE The facade of the palace, built in Neo-Renaissance style, has three levels. The ground floor has 10 rectangular windows and a massive portal, while the upper floors have 11 rectangular windows each. The portal is surmounted by a balcony, and the window on the main floor corresponding to the portal is decorated with the coat of arms of the Prini-Aulla family.   HOW TO GET THERE Palazzo Prini-Aulla is located about 1 kilometer away from the Pisa Centrale railway station. The closest bus stop is Pacinotti 1, Read more [...]

Palazzo Reale is a large palace in Pisa, located on the northern bank of the Arno River, on Lungarno Antonio Pacinotti, at number 46. Today, the palace hosts the National Museum of the Royal Palace (Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Reale).   SHORT HISTORY Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace) was built in 1583 by Bernardo Buontalenti for Francesco I de’ Medici, to replace the Medici Palace located near the Church of San Matteo. The palace was built by merging some medieval buildings dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries and partly still visible – that of the Counts Gaetani of Terriccio, Pomaya and d’Oriseo (the Tower of the Verga d’Oro and the Tower of the Canton), and was remodeled several times, during the 17th and 19th centuries. On an alley behind the palace, we can see the round arches of a medieval building, now lowered due to the rising of the floor, and in the courtyard, there is an ancient tower, with an arched portal, two small windows with a pentagonal architrave and a single-lancet window higher up. On the ground floor of the courtyard, we can also find the remains of a loggia, with two columns with capitals, partially abraded. Read more [...]

Palazzo Agostini, commonly known as Palazzo dell’Ussero or Palazzo Rosso (Red Palace), is one of the most beautiful palaces in Pisa, and one of the main examples of Gothic architecture in Tuscany. The palace, belonging to the noble family Agostini Fantini Venerosi della Seta Gaetani Bocca Grassi, is home to the Caffè dell’Ussero starting with 1775, and houses the Cinema Lumière since 1899.   SHORT HISTORY In the first half of the 14th century, the Astajo family built the palace by merging two older buildings. In 1447, the heirs of Jacopo and Filippo Astajo ceded the palace to Antonio Primi. Later, the palace passed to the Florentine family Visdomini who, on January 25, 1465, ceded it to the brothers Antonio and Pietro, Pisan goldsmiths. In 1496, the palace was bought by Mariano and Pietro Agostini, belonging to a family of mercantile origin, specialized in the silk trade. The palace was restored in 1895 on a project by the architect Angelo Giannini. On May 12, 1895, the roof was added by Luigi Corona, on a design by the architect Luigi Del Moro.   ARCHITECTURE The facade, covered in terracotta tiles with a characteristic reddish color, from which the palace draws its Read more [...]

Palazzo Roncioni is a palace located on the northern bank of the Arno River, in Pisa, adjacent to the Palazzo Toscanelli and about 100 meters away from Palazzo Vecchio de’ Medici.   SHORT HISTORY The palace was built in the first half of the 17th century, by merging several medieval buildings. In 1662, the original owners, the Navarette family, sold it to the Roncioni family. In 1789, Angiolo Roncioni, passionate about art, hired the painter Giovanni Battista Tempesti to paint frescoes on the walls and the vaulted ceilings of the palace, and J.B. Desmarais to paint family portraits. In 1794, Angiolo Roncioni and Andrea Agostini created the Roncioni Academy, a cultural circle where famous artists were invited, and where the most advanced theatrical texts of the period were presented. In 1795, the owner comissioned the architect Alessandro Gherardesca to build a small theater in the palace. The Count Vittorio Alfieri, the founder of the Italian tragedy, stayed there in the same year, when he was invited to recite his work Saul during the period of Luminara di San Ranieri. In 1816, the writer Madame de Staël lived in the palace, and later Louis Bonaparte – the brother of Napoleon, and Read more [...]

Palazzo della Canonica is a 16th-century palace in Pisa, located in Piazza dei Cavalieri, near the Church of Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri, across the square from Palazzo della Carovana.   SHORT HISTORY In 1567, Cosimo I de’ Medici donated the medieval buildings standing between Via Ulisse Dini and Via San Frediano, to provide quarters for the important and influential division of the priests of the Order of the Knights of Saint Stephen. Giorgio Vasari was comissioned to design the palace, along with the whole new layout of the square, and David Fortini was the architect to built it. The works on the building lasted over forty years, because most of the funds available were directed to the construction of the Church of Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri. The interventions continued until the 17th century. Between 1604 and 1607, the rooms on the top floor were built, which were renovated between 1690 and 1692, with further additions around the middle of the 19th century.   ARCHITECTURE The long facade of the palace closely resembles that of Palazzo della Carovana. Three rows of windows define its facade as a whole, masking the differences between the medieval buildings joined together to make the new Read more [...]

Palazzo del Collegio Puteano is a palace in Pisa, located in Piazza dei Cavalieri, adjacent to the Church of San Rocco, between Palazzo dell’Orologio and Palazzo del Consiglio dei Dodici.   SHORT HISTORY Palazzo del Collegio Puteano was built in its current form between 1594 and 1598, by merging a group of ancient buildings. In 1605, the palace was granted to the Order of the Knights of Saint Stephen, to host Piedmontese students of the University of Pisa, according to a wish of Archbishop Carlo Antonio Dal Pozzo. The facade of the palace was decorated with allegorical frescoes between 1608 and 1609 by Giovanni Stefano Marucelli. After the suppression of the Order, the college remained open until 1925. In 1930, only five years later, Scuola Normale di Pisa reopened it as the Student House of the prestigious University, which had its headquarters in the nearby Palazzo della Carovana. In 2001, the palace became the seat of the Ennio De Giorgi Center for Mathematical Research.   HOW TO GET THERE Palazzo del Collegio Puteano is located about 1.4 kilometers away from the Pisa Centrale railway station. The closest bus stop is Corsica, located about 100 meters away, on the bus Line Read more [...]

Palazzo del Comune is a palace in Arezzo, located in Piazza della Libertà, on top of the San Pietro Hill, near the Cathedral of Santi Pietro e Donato. Today, the palace houses the city’s Town Hall.   SHORT HISTORY Palazzo Comunale, known at first as Palazzo dei Priori, was home to the supreme magistrature of Arezzo. The original facade of the building, dating back to the 14th century, can be admired from Via Ricasoli. In 1454, there was a first major renovation. In 1466, the large clock was mounted on the tower. In the second half of the 16th century, a new makeover of the palace began after a design by the famous Florentine architect Alfonso Parigi, which was completed in 1602. During the works, the layout of the stairs was changed, and the large internal portico was built. In 1650, the facade collapsed and some frescoes painted by Lorentino d’Andrea were lost. The reconstruction was carried out by slightly withdrawing the front of the building. In 1715, a bell dedicated to the Madonna and Saint Donatus was placed in the tower. The last major renovation was carried out in 1930s, under the supervision of Giuseppe Castellucci and Umberto Tavanti. Read more [...]

Buy tickets & tours:GetYourGuide Palazzo Pitti is an imposing Renaissance-style palace in Florence, located in Piazza dei Pitti. The palace was the residence of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, and was inhabited, over time, by the Medici family, by the Habsburg-Lorraine and, after the Unification of Italy, by the Savoy. Palazzo Pitti hosts the Palatine Gallery, the Royal Apartments, the Apartment of the Duchess of Aosta, the Gallery of Modern Art, the Treasury of the Grand Dukes of Tuscany, the Costume Gallery, the Porcelain Museum and the Carriage Museum. The museal complex of Palazzo Pitti also includes the Boboli Gardens.   SHORT HISTORY Luca Pitti, a rival of the Medici family, desired a more luxurious palace than the one built by Michelozzo for Cosimo the Elder. Around 1440, Pitti entrusted the project to Filippo Brunelleschi, but the architect died long before the construction began, and the project passed to his pupil, Luca Fancelli. The construction was started around 1458, but, due to various design problems and financial difficulties, the works were temporarily interrupted in 1465. Luca Pitti died in 1472. Around 1550, Buonaccorso Pitti sold the palace to Eleonora di Toledo, wife of Cosimo I de’ Medici and daughter of Read more [...]

Palazzo dell’Antella is a palace with a beautiful frescoed facade in Florence, located in Piazza di Santa Croce, near the Basilica of Santa Croce.   SHORT HISTORY The first significant expansion of the palace dates back to the second half of the 16th century – the building was raised by a floor, including a mezzanine, and the wooden doors were replaced with stone ones, still visible today. The architect of the palace was probably someone from the circle of Baccio d’Agnolo. In the early 17th century, the palace passed to Senator Niccolò dell’Antella, through the dowry of his wife Costanza del Barbigia. In 1619, dell’Antella commissioned the architect Giulio Parigi to give a unified design to the properties the senator bought in Piazza di Santa Croce. To give a unified appearance to the adjacent buildings, the architect had the entire facade painted with frescoes. The paintings were made in just twenty days of work, between 1619 and 1620, by a team of thirteen young artists supervised by the painter Giovanni da San Giovanni. Dell’Antella died out in 1698 and, later, the palace passed by inheritance to the Dal Borgo family, then to Lotteringhi della Stufa and finally to de’ Nobili. Read more [...]

Palazzo Pretorio is a palace in Arezzo, located in Via dei Pileati, about 100 meters away from Piazza Grande. Since 1954, the palace houses the Municipal Library of Arezzo.   SHORT HISTORY The area on which the current palace stands was occupied since the 13th century by the houses of the Albergotti, Lodomeri and Sassoli families. Thus, the palace is the result of the unification of several buildings, built in different periods and styles. At first, Palazzo Pretorio was the seat of the Captain of Justice (Capitano di Giustizia). At the beginning of the 15th century, the palace was purchased by the Municipality, and transformed into a prison, which was closed only in 1926. In the 1920s, a long restoration began, completed in 1934 by the architect Giuseppe Castellucci, who returned the structure to its 16th century appearance. After the restoration, the Medieval Museum of Arezzo was transferred there.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE The beautiful facade of the palace is decorated with many coats of arms of podestà (chief magistrate) and captains, who used the palace as their seat since 1434. Inside the palace, on the ground floor, there is a private chapel, where you can admire the remains of Read more [...]

Palazzo della Provincia is a neo-Gothic palace in Arezzo, located in Piazza della Libertà, across the square from Palazzo del Comune, near the Cathedral of Saints Donatus and Peter. Together with Palazzo del Comune and the Cathedral, Palazzo della Provincia, seat of the Province of Arezzo, forms a complex very close to an ideal agora, where the main administrative centers of the city are concentrated, in a dominant position on the San Pietro Hill.   SHORT HISTORY On February 24, 1913, the administration of the Province of Arezzo decided to build its new headquarters, commissioning the engineer Giuseppe Paoli for this project. The project consisted in a new building to be used as offices and the restoration of two pre-existing buildings. The masonry work, carried out by the company Giuseppe Rossi, was started shortly after and was completed only on September 27, 1925, followed by the official inauguration of the palace. Concerning the decorative works, the realization of the frescoes was entrusted, at the suggestion of the designer, to the painter Adolfo De Carolis, in 1922. The sketch was immediately approved, and the works – started in the summer of 1922 and executed entirely by De Carolis, were concluded at Read more [...]

Palazzo Cofani-Brizzolari occupies the southwestern side of Piazza Grande, in the historic centre of Arezzo. The monument is a medieval residential complex formed by the union of the thirteenth-century Torre Faggiolana and an adjoining fourteenth-century tower house. Its stone frontage and crenellated tower overlook Arezzo’s principal historic square. The building stands among the medieval, Renaissance, and later structures that define Piazza Grande. The square has an irregular trapezoidal plan and a strongly sloping surface, while Palazzo Cofani-Brizzolari belongs to the group of medieval buildings lining its lower side. Unlike a palace conceived as a single architectural project, the complex developed through successive construction phases. Its medieval core, later additions, centuries of alteration, and twentieth-century restoration are all relevant to its present appearance.   Short History of Palazzo Cofani-Brizzolari The earliest component is Torre Faggiolana, built during the thirteenth century. It predates the adjoining residence and originally rose higher than it does today. The tower’s early date is supported by its narrow pointed openings near the upper section. The tower is known as Torre Faggiolana because it probably belonged during the thirteenth century to the family of Uguccione della Faggiola. Uguccione was a prominent Ghibelline captain, but historical descriptions remain cautious Read more [...]