The Palazzo Vecchio is the town hall of Florence, capital of the Toscane in Italy. This palate-fortress in the form of parallelepiped located on the Piazza della Signoria, is one of the most beautiful buildings of the city. It côtoie the Loggia dei Lanzi and the Offices. Its name goes back to the transfer of the Médicis for new the Palais Pitti located on the other side of the Arno, from there, the palate will be described as vecchio .

The construction of the palate began in 1299 under the direction from the architect Arnolfo di Cambio. At the origin, it bore the name of Palazzo della Signoria (Palate of the Seigniory) and was the seat of the government of Florence ( Signoria ).

History

At the end of the 12th century, the town of Florence decides to build a palate, to show its power and to guarantee a greater safety with the magistrates of the city, in this period of disorder.

The building is allotted to Arnolfo di Cambio, the architect of the duomo and the church Santa Croce, and its construction began in 1299 and will be completed in 1314. The palate was set up on the ruins of the Palazzo dei Fanti and the Palazzo dell' Esecutore di Giustizia . Arnolfo di Cambio was pressed on the ancient lathe of the family Vacca in the structure of the frontage. This is why the tower (94 m height) is not in the middle of the building. This tower contains two small cells, which one sees the small windows of the Alberghetto to middle height and who were used as prison with Cosme I {{er}} (1435) and Jerome Savonarole (1498). The tower of guet bears the name of its originator Torre d' Arnolfo , it is a belfry of architectural style typically Tuscan, crenelated.

The clock was in the beginning built by Nicolò Bernardo, but was replaced in 1667 by a clock of Vincenzo Viviani.

A counterpart of David of Michel-Angel is on the public place, ahead of of the building, a strategic site and symbolic system (power, and then tourist, today).

Structure

The torre of Arnolfo

Turn of guet completed in 1310, it is a Beffroi with triple arranged of Créneau X square of type Guelfe comprising a Covered way projecting. It east is offset general plan of the palate because built on the ruins of the old tower gibeline of the Foraboschi .
Certain castles of Tuscany will copy this turn-belfry (on a less scale) to decorate their palate (example: Castello di Montegufoni close to Montespertoli on the Frazione of Montagnana) and thus to spread out their allegiance with the republic of Florence.

Body of the palate

Solid mass, it is supplemented, on these frontages, of geminated bays which reduce the austere aspect of it. The consoles of Encorbellement post ceramics of the weapons and the possessions obtained militarily or politically.

Court of entry (first court or court of Michelozzo)

The first court, which one reaches by the principal door on Piazza della Signoria, was projected in 1453 by Michelozzo. In 1565, at the time of the weddings of François ler of Médicis, wire of Cosme Ier, and Jeanne of Austria, sister of the emperor Maximilien II, the court was transformed and decorated in a style exuberant mannerist on a project of Giorgio Vasari.

On the tympanums, all around the court, are reproduced the signs of the churches and the congregations of the members and the trades of the city, while in the lower registers are painted, in honor of Jeanne of Austria, the sights of the cities of the Empire of the Habsbourg. The vaults are enriched by grotesque decorations.

In the center, in the place of the old well, was set up a porphyry fountain of Battista del Tadda and Raffaello di Domenico di Polo, on which was placed the oldest bronze statue of the Putto idiot delfino of Andrea del Verrocchio (1476). In the niche in front of the fountain is installed Sansone E it Filisteo of Pierino da Vinci. The columns are richly decorated with grooves alternate with parts in gilded stucco. It is about a copy of the original statue (moved on the second floor on the terrace of Giunone).

On the side of the court a door leads to the old Room of Weapons, a time used as deposit of weapons and ammunition and employed today for temporary exhibitions or events.

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