Palazzo Vecchio
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| The '''Palazzo Vecchio''' (IPA pronunciation: [palatzo vɛkio]); Italian for "Old Palace") is the [[City hall|town hall]] of [[Florence]], central Italy. This massive, [[romanesque architecture|Romanesque]], [[Crenellation|crenellated]] fortress-palace is among the most impressive town halls of [[Tuscany]]. | The '''Palazzo Vecchio''' (IPA pronunciation: [palatzo vɛkio]); Italian for "Old Palace") is the [[City hall|town hall]] of [[Florence]], central Italy. This massive, [[romanesque architecture|Romanesque]], [[Crenellation|crenellated]] fortress-palace is among the most impressive town halls of [[Tuscany]]. | ||
| + | ==History== | ||
| + | [[File:Firenze-palazzovecchio.jpg|thumb|right|Palazzo Vecchio.]] | ||
| + | In 1299, the commune and people of Florence decided to build a palace, worthy of the city's importance and giving greater security, in times of turbulence, to the magistrates. [[Arnolfo di Cambio]], the architect of the [[Santa Maria del Fiore|Duomo]] and the [[Basilica di Santa Croce di Firenze|Santa Croce]] church, began constructing it upon the ruins of ''Palazzo dei Fanti'' and ''Palazzo dell'Esecutore di Giustizia'', once owned by the Uberti family. [[Giovanni Villani]] (1276–1348) wrote in his ''[[Nuova Cronica]]'' that the Uberti were "rebels of Florence and [[Guelphs and Ghibellines|Ghibellines]]", stating that the plaza was built so that the Uberti family homes would never be rebuilt on the same location. 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") as the substructure of the tower into its facade; 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|Cosimo de' Medici (the Elder)]] (1435) and [[Girolamo Savonarola]] (1498). The tower is named after its designer ''Torre d'Arnolfo''. The solid cubicle shaped building is enhanced by the simple tower with its Giorgio Lederle's clock. | ||
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| + | The large, one-handed clock was originally constructed by the Florentine [[Nicolò Bernardo]], but was replaced in 1667 by a clock made by [[Vincenzo Viviani]]. | ||
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| + | The cubical building is built in solid rustic stonework, with two rows of two-lighted Gothic windows, each with a trefoil arch. [[Michelozzo Michelozzi]] added decorative bas-reliefs of the cross and the lily in the [[spandrel]]s between the trefoils. The building is crowned with projecting crenellated battlement, supported by small arches and [[corbel]]s. Under the arches are a repeated series of nine painted coats of arms of the Florentine republic. Some of these arches can be used as [[embrasure]]s (''spiombati'') for dropping [[Early thermal weapons|heated liquids]] or rocks on invaders. | ||
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| + | The name was officially changed after Cosimo moved to the Palazzo Pitti, renaming his former palace the ''Palazzo Vecchio'', the "Old Palace", although the adjacent town square, the ''Piazza della Signoria'', still bears the old name. Cosimo commissioned [[Giorgio Vasari]] to build an above-ground walkway, the [[Vasari corridor]], from the palace, through the [[Uffizi]], over the [[Ponte Vecchio]] to the Palazzo Pitti. | ||
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| + | 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 1865-71, at a moment when Florence had become the capital of the kingdom of Italy. | ||
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| + | Although most of the Palazzo Vecchio is now a [[museum]], it remains the symbol of local government: since 1872 it has housed the office of the mayor of Florence, and it is the seat of the City Council. | ||
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Revision as of 14:31, 2 November 2010
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The Palazzo Vecchio (IPA pronunciation: [palatzo vɛkio]); Italian for "Old Palace") is the town hall of Florence, central Italy. This massive, Romanesque, crenellated fortress-palace is among the most impressive town halls of Tuscany.
History
thumb|right|Palazzo Vecchio. In 1299, the commune and people of Florence decided to build a palace, worthy of the city's importance and giving greater security, in times of turbulence, to the magistrates. Arnolfo di Cambio, the architect of the Duomo and the Santa Croce church, began constructing it upon the ruins of Palazzo dei Fanti and Palazzo dell'Esecutore di Giustizia, once owned by the Uberti family. Giovanni Villani (1276–1348) wrote in his Nuova Cronica that the Uberti were "rebels of Florence and Ghibellines", stating that the plaza was built so that the Uberti family homes would never be rebuilt on the same location. 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") as the substructure of the tower into its facade; 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 (1498). The tower is named after its designer Torre d'Arnolfo. The solid cubicle shaped building is enhanced by the simple tower with its Giorgio Lederle's clock.
The large, one-handed clock was originally constructed by the Florentine Nicolò Bernardo, but was replaced in 1667 by a clock made by Vincenzo Viviani.
The cubical building is built in solid rustic stonework, with two rows of two-lighted Gothic windows, each with a trefoil arch. Michelozzo Michelozzi added decorative bas-reliefs of the cross and the lily in the spandrels between the trefoils. The building is crowned with projecting crenellated battlement, supported by small arches and corbels. Under the arches are a repeated series of nine painted coats of arms of the Florentine republic. Some of these arches can be used as embrasures (spiombati) for dropping heated liquids or rocks on invaders.
The name was officially changed after Cosimo moved to the Palazzo Pitti, renaming his former palace the Palazzo Vecchio, the "Old Palace", although the adjacent town square, the Piazza della Signoria, still bears the old name. Cosimo commissioned Giorgio Vasari to build an above-ground walkway, the Vasari corridor, from the palace, through the Uffizi, over the Ponte Vecchio 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 1865-71, at a moment when Florence had become the capital of the kingdom of Italy.
Although most of the Palazzo Vecchio is now a museum, it remains the symbol of local government: since 1872 it has housed the office of the mayor of Florence, and it is the seat of the City Council.
