Florence is a city of historical churches and palaces. There are many palaces which display the rich and varied history of Florence. One of those palaces is the Palazzo Vecchio which is the city hall of Florence. The palace is one of the extraordinary, massive, crenellated and Romanesque palaces of Tuscany.Its construction started in 1299 and completed in 1302, and it is designed by gothic architect of Florence – Arnolfo di Cambio.
He made it indestructible still graceful with thin-columned Gothic style windows and two orders of crenellations. It isone of the oldest mansions of Florence and an outstanding example of Venetian urban architecture, maintaining its beauty, great architecture and respect for its history.
Initially, the palace was known as Palazzo del Popolo i.e. People’s Palace. Later on it was given various other names such as – Palazzo della Signoria, Palazzo dei Priori, further Palazzo Ducale, as per the changing purpose of the mansion through its prolonged history. The current name Palazzo Vecchio, which means Old Palace, is acquired by the palace after the Medici Duke’s home was moved from the Arno to the Palazzo Pitti. It has been the symbol of the civic power of Florence.
There is one bell tower in Palazzo Vecchio, which stands out in the city’s skyline. The tower is 308 ft (94 meter) high. The tower was completed after 23 years, when a large bell was settled into the remarkable bell tower. The bell was tolled to announce public conferences or to warn for forthcoming danger.
Once the palace was home for several Florentine republican governments and now it is home for municipal government of Florence. There are various statues lined up in front of the palace including a copy of Michelangelo's David. You can also find nice courtyards and rooms full of art work. Though the palace contains City Council offices today, visitors can see most of the part of the building. Public can visit its four historic apartments – Quarters of Leo X, Quarters of the Elements, Residence of the Priors and Quarters of Eleonora of Toledo. There is a collection of musical instruments, which has rarely been shown to the visitors.
One of the striking attractions about this palace is that it is open even on Mondays, while other locations such as Accedemia and Uffizi are closed, so think twice before planning your trip and go on Monday to this palace.
