Palazzo Vecchio

Centrally located in Piazza della Signori, the palazzo bore the name Palazzo Signoria until the 16th century, when it was the seat of the Florence city government. Piazza delle Signoria itself is considered one of the most attractive and famous squares in Italy. On it, with the arcaded building of the Loggia dei Lanzi adjacent to the Palazzo Vecchio, there is another building worth seeing, built as early as the 14th century.

The renaming of the Palazzo Vecchio was associated with numerous alterations and extensions. However, its fortified appearance was preserved, which still dominates the appearance of the Piazza della Signoria today. In front of the main portal of Palazzo Vecchio, known as the Lion's Gate, stand copies of several statues, including Michelangelo's world-famous monumental statue of David.

Today, the Palazzo Vecchio, which is open to visitors, houses the Florence City Hall, the Museo dei Ragazzi children's museum, and the Hall of the Five Hundred, used for audiences and events.
The guided tour of Palazzo Vecchio begins in the courtyard, which is decorated with stucco ornaments and frescoes. The walls are decorated with motifs of former Habsburg cities such as Innsbruck, Linz, Vienna or Freiburg in Breisgau. They were made in 1565 by a Medici court painter for the wedding celebration of Francesco I with Archduchess Joan of Austria.

With an impressive cycle of paintings glorifying the statesman Cosimo de' Medici as well as the city of Florence, the State Hall of the Five Hundred is located on the second floor. Measuring 54 x 22 meters and 12 meters high, it is considered the largest room in Florence. Among the statues placed here stands out the famous Genius of Victory by Michelangelo.

On the second floor of the museum there are several private rooms of members of the former Medici family. They inspire throughout with their splendid furnishings. Outstanding among them is the Studiolo, executed in 1570, which is a private writing room whose design has a special form of Renaissance architecture. No less attractive is the Chapel of Eleonora, decorated with paintings by the Italian Mannerist artist Agnolo Bronzino.

Among the numerous other halls, such as the Penelope Hall or the Peephole Hall, the Audience Hall and the Lily Hall stand out. The latter is accessible via an outside staircase and is richly decorated with golden lilies on a blue background. The Audience Hall impresses with its magnificent furnishings. A special feature is the map room with a huge globe. On its walls, more than 50 colored panels depict all the regions of the then known continents in the 16th century.

Between its first and second floors, Palazzo Vecchio hides the Quartiere del Mezzanino, a quarter that has preserved its medieval appearance. Today it houses the exhibits of the important art historical foundation Donazione Loeser.