Signoria Square is the heart of Florence. The historical, political, and now the tourist center of the ancient "flower city". A beautiful ensemble of medieval buildings and unique statues. The history of the square In 1980, during the restoration of the square, fragments of ancient buildings were discovered: a term, an ancient Roman theater, and sewing workshops. Under the ruins of these Roman buildings were found even more ancient remains of residential settlements of the Stone Age ..
Signoria Square, photo by Jose-Miguel-Hernandez-Her
Signoria Square is the heart of Florence. The historical, political, and now the tourist center of the ancient "flower city". A beautiful ensemble of medieval buildings and unique statues.
History of the square
In 1980, during the restoration of the square, fragments of ancient buildings were discovered: the term, the ancient Roman theater, and sewing workshops. Under the ruins of these Roman buildings were found even more ancient remains of residential settlements of the Stone Age.
In the 10th century, 36 towers were erected in the northern part of Piazza Signoria for the family of Florentine Uberti gibellins. In the 13th century, Guelphs destroyed the towers of the Ghibellines. The freed up space of the square was laid out with paving stones, and Piazza Signoria acquired a peculiar shape of the letter L. At the end of the XIII century. the palace of Vecchio was created; in the 14th century, the Commercial Court building and the Loggia dei Lanzi were built.
Square architecture
Vecchio Palace
Vecchio Palace, photo by Massimo Todisco
The dominant feature of Piazza Signoria is the Palazzo Vecchio, the city hall built in 1299. The square existed long before the creation of this monumental fortress palace. She was known in ancient Roman times.
Loggia Lanzi
Loggia Lanzi, photo by Damiano Pappada
The Arcade Loggia of Signoria dei Lanzi (Loggia della Signoria o dei Lanzi) was intended for official government appeals to the people of Florence. At that time, a hanging garden was placed on the roof of the building. Subsequently, the loggia was used to receive foreign diplomats and to place Landsknechts - the personal guard of Cosimo I.
The design of this building was created by Andrea Orkanya; built a loggia from 1376 to 1382, the architects Talenti and Chione. The modern name Loggia dei Lanzi appeared in the 16th century. The architecture of the building is a synthesis of the classical style and Florentine Gothic.
At present, the Loggia has been given over to a sculptural exhibition - under its roof are on display statues from the collection of the Uffizi Gallery. Here you can see the famous composition "Perseus" by B. Cellini, two works by J. Dzhambolony: "Hercules, killing the Centaur" and "The Abduction of the Sabine women", the work of Pio Fedi - "The Abduction of Polyxena", a number of antique female sculptures. All fifteen statues of the Loggia Lanzi collection are sculptured from marble, only Perseus is cast in bronze.
Palace of the Commercial Court
Palace of the Commercial Court, photo by Leandro Neumann Ciuffo
The Palace of the Commercial Court (Tribunale della Mercanzia) stands on the site of an ancient Roman theater on the east side of the square. The upper tier of its facade is decorated with copies of the emblems of the Florentine guilds.
Uguccioni Palace
Uguccioni Palace, photo by Chris-Maroulakis
Palazzo Uguccioni on the north side of Sq. Signoria was built in 1550. This palace is attributed to examples of late Renaissance Roman architecture. The authorship of his project is unknown: according to various versions he is attributed to Raphael, Michelangelo or Bramante.
Sculptures of Signoria Square
Sculptural decoration of the square, photo by Jørgen Bjerring
Signoria Square is decorated with a magnificent plastic ensemble. The first statues by Donatello appeared here in the middle of the 15th century. On the left side of the palace of Vecchio is installed "Judith with the Head of Holofernes." The sculptor created this work for the Medici Palace, but after the coup in Florence "Judith" hit the square. Now this Donatello masterpiece has been replaced by a full-scale copy, like all the sculptures of Signoria Square, except for Perseus.
To the left of the town hall stands a full-size copy of "David" by Michelangelo (the original was on the square until 1873). The five-meter statue represents the desire of the Florentine people for independence. "The symbol of urban freedoms" is called the composition "Mardzoko", depicting a lion holding a shield in its paw with an iris flower.
Neptune Fountain, photo zacke82
In the center of Piazza Signoria is the Neptune Fountain, created by Ammanati and his students in 1563-65. It was the first Florentine fountain installed on a public square. Florentines considered this work of the sculptor extremely unsuccessful. Recognition of contemporaries was not received by the sculptural group of Bandinelli's work - Hercules and Cacus.
To the left of Vecchio you can see another work of Dzhambolony - a bronze equestrian statue of Cosimo I of Medici.
Equestrian statue of Cosimo I
Signoria Square (Piazza della Signoria)
Piazza della Signoria Firenze ItalyTake bus 02 to the Condotta stop
