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Palazzo Vecchio and Studiolo
Palazzo Vecchio and Studiolo
Marked by its 94-m/308-ft tower, Arnolfo di Cambio’s military-style town hall has been an important building in the history of Florence since the first years of the 14th century. It was built in massive fortress-like dimensions to house the Signoria, the highest ranks of the city’s republican government. Changes in Florence’s political makeup, especially with the return of the Medici, saw many transformations, especially to the interior, where fresco after fresco describes the history of the family, mainly by favored architect Vasari. He also added the frescoes to the regal Salone dei Cinquecento (the Room of the Five Hundred), which at one time housed Savonarola’s republic government and still houses Michelangelo’s Genio della Victoria.
In contrast to all this grandeur, Studiolo next door was the workspace of the alchemy- and astrology-fascinated Francesco I (as can be seen from the instruments on display). It seems more like a tiny broom closet. Look for wall illustrations on the themes of earth, water, air and fire. On the second floor, the ceiling of the Sala dei Gigli (the Room of Lilies, the city’s symbol) was fashioned by brothers Giuliano and Benedetto da Maiano with frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandaio on the walls. It links to the Cancelleria, the former office of Machiavelli and also to the map room whose 53 maps produced by Fra’ Ignazio Danti depict all that was known of the world in the 16th century.
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