Florence By Area >> City Centre West
Piazza Antinori 3.
Cantinetta Antinori Tel. 055 29 22 34
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The Palazzo Antinori, originally the Palazzo Boni e Martelli, was built in 1461-6 and with its elegant courtyard is considered one of the finest small Renaissance palazzi of Florence. It was acquired by the Antinori family in 1506 and has remained with them since.
The family owns large and productive estates all over Tuscany and in the neighbouring region of Umbria, producing a range of well-regarded wines, olive oils and liqueurs. You can sample these in the frescoed wine bar to the right of the courtyard, the Cantinetta Antinori.
The wine bar also specialises in typical Tuscan cuisine, with dishes such as crostini alla Toscana, together with traditional chesses and a range of other produce from the Antinori estates. |
Piazza di Parte Guelfa.
This characterful building served as the headquarters of the Guelph party and the residence of its captains from around 1266, after the Guelphs began to emerge as the stronger of the two medieval factions struggling for control over Florence. In the complex politics of the period, the Guelphs supported the Pope and the Ghibellines took the side of the Holy Roman Emperor in the dispute over who should rule northern Italy.
The lower part of the building dates to the 13th century, but the upper part was added by Brunelleschi in 1431. There are stemmae (coats-of-arms) under the crenellations. The elegant open staircase, added in 1589, is by Vasari. |
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Via della Vigna Nuova 16.
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Built in 1446-51, this is one of the most ornate Renaissance palaces in the city. It was commissioned by Giovanni Rucellai, whose wealth derived from the family business, the import of rare and costly red dye made from a lichen found only in Majorca. The dye was called oricello, from which the name Rucellai is derived.
Giovanni commissioned several buildings from the architect Leon Battista Alberti, who went on to write an influential architectural treatise called De Re Aedificatoria (Concerning Architecture) in 1452. Alberti designed the Palazzo Rucellai almost as a textbook illustration of the major Classical orders. In ascending order of complexity, the pilaster strips on the ground floor are Doric, those above are Ionic and those on the top floor are Corinthian.
The construction of the palace combined eight medieval houses into one structure. |
Two symbols are carved into the entablature: the Rucellai's billowing sails of Fortune and the ring symbol of the Medici family. The ring is a reminder that Bernardo Rucellai formed an alliance with the Medici in the 1460's by marrying Lorenzo de' Medici's sister, Lucresia.
The Loggia del Recellai, opposite the palace, was most likely built to commemorate the marriage. The Loggia is now a shop, but it is still possible to see the architrave.
Today the Palazzo remains the property of the Rucellai family. It is located on a prominent shopping street and is within easy walking distance of several main sights and the Stazione di Santa Maria Novella. Part of the building is used as an educational centre, the Institute at Palazzo Rucellai, which provides a liberal arts, study abroad programme for students of North American colleges. On site are fully equipped classrooms, a library and a Fine art studio for classes and student exhibitions.
Piazza degli Strozzi
Tel. 055 264 51 55
The Strozzi Palace is awesome because of its sheer size: 15 buildings were demolished to make way for it, and although it is only three storeys high, each floor is as tall as a normal palazzo. The palace was commissioned by the wealthy banker Filippo Strozzi, but he died in 1491, only two years after the foundation stone was laid.
The building was not completed until 1536, and three major architects had a hand in its design- Giuliano da Sangallo, Benedetto da Maiano and Simone del Pollaiuolo (known as Cronaca).
The exterior, built of huge rusticated masonry blocks, remains unspoiled. Look out for the original Renaissance torch-holders, lamps and rings for tethering horses, which adorn the corners and facades.
The elegance of the courtyard itself has been destroyed by a huge iron fire escape, constructed when the building was converted to a major exhibition venue. In recent years, it has hosted world-class exhibitions of art and antiquities. During major exhibitions, visitors can also access "La Strozzina" free of charge. This is a vaulted gallery space at basement level with changing displays. When there are no exhibitions, visitors may access only the central courtyard. The palace also houses various learned institutes and an excellent library, the Gabinetto Vieusseux, named after the 19th century Swiss scholar Gian Pietro Vieusseux. He founded a scientific and literary association in 1818, which was attended by, among others, the French author Stendhal.
Stazione di Santa Maria Novella |
A fine example of modern architecture in Italy, the central railway station was designed in 1935 by a group of Tuscan "Functionalist" artists, including Piero Berardi and Giovanni Michelucci. They believed that a building's form should reflect its purpose. The exterior was designed to compliment the Gothic architecture of the city centre, while the interior uses metal and glass to create a feeling of space and light.
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