The Palazzo Vecchio, or Old Palace, has been the seat of government in Florence for more than 700 years. For a brief time in the 1800's, it was home to the provisional government of unified Italy. Since then the Mayor's office and City Council have been located there.
The building was designed to project the majesty of Florence and to protect government leaders during times of tumult, of which there were many. The resulting building is an imposing castle-like structure in the center of Florence (pictured below).
Today, most of the Palazzo Vecchio is a museum. We recently toured the museum and were impressed with the art and architecture. Here are some photos from our tour.
Over its 700 year history, the Palazzo Vecchio was repeatedly enlarged until reaching its current size. The building was constructed atop two historic sites. The first site was the ruins of the infamous Uberti family homes from the medieval era. The second site was the former Roman theater from the ancient era.
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| Palazzo Vecchio: The Hall of 500 (Salone dei Cinquecento) |
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| Palazzo Vecchio: The Hall of 500, view of a fresco commemorating Florence conquering other cities in Tuscany |
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| Palazzo Vecchio: The Hall of 500, view of the ornate ceiling that depicts the life of Cosimo Medici (Cosimo I) with the subject featured in the rounded mural in the center |
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| Palazzo Vecchio: The Hall of 500, with holiday decoration |
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| Palazzo Vecchio: The Hall of 500, with some random dude |
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| The Medici coat of arms, with papal insignia (keys to St. Peter with triple crown). The Medici family sent 3 popes to Rome: two Leo's (X and XI) and one Clement (VII). |
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| A beautiful cabinet with inlaid artwork |
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| The Medici coat of arms with the six balls. The blue ball represents the family's royal status when Cosimo I became Grand Duke of Tuscany. The Medici coat of arms can be seen throughout the Palazzo Vecchio, not to mention all over Florence. It can also be found in other towns in Tuscany. |
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| The lily, or giglio, is the symbol of Florence. The symbol can be found everywhere in Florence. |
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| The ceilings of most rooms are ornately decorated. |
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| Vivid, beautiful frescoes can be seen throughout the museum. |
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| More beautiful frescoes |
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| In the photo above, the Roman name of Florence, FLORENTIA |
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| Some random dude posing under some other random dude |
Next Up: Let's view more of the artwork.
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