Florence's Palazzo Vecchio is one of the city's landmarks and most famous buildings. The old palace, as the exact English translation is, stands on Piazza della Signora and still serves its original purpose as a town hall.
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The 94-metre-high Town Hall tower co-creates Florence's skyline and also serves as a lookout point. In addition to the Town Hall, the museum of the city's history is located inside.
The imposing spaces of the palace
The Palazzo Vecchio was built at the turn of the 13th and 14th centuries. It was designed by the architect Arnolfo di Cambio, who was also involved in the construction of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. The interior was decorated by Giorgio Vasari himself.
The old palace boasts magnificent decoration and a surprisingly impressive interior, which is almost entirely open to the public. Among the most beautiful spaces are these interiors:
- The Hall of the Five Hundred (Sala del Cinquecento) - the largest room dedicated to meetings of the 500 members of the City Council. It is decorated with very valuable paintings and pictures of triumphant moments in the history of the Medici, by Lenoardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti
- The inner courtyard - decorated with stucco columns and paintings by Giorgio Vasari
- Hall of Pope Clement VII - decorated by Giorgio Vasari with allegorical paintings of the Victory of Florence
- Studiolo - private study of Francis I. Medici is decorated with paintings by Giorgio Vasari in the style of Renaissance Mannerism.
Torre di Arnolfo
A slender tower in the typical style of the Tuscan Middle Ages climbs to a height of 94 metres, making it the 2nd tallest building in old Florence. Together with the cathedral bell tower and the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore, it forms an unmistakable panorama of Florence.
It is named after its architect and there is a public viewpoint at the top of the tower, but you have to climb more than 400 steps to reach it.
Admission and opening hours
The museum and the tower's lookout are open at the following times:
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday - 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- Thursday - 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
- Saturday and Sunday - 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (museum only, tower remains closed)
Ticket prices for the museum + tower:
- Adult: 12,50 eur
- Students 18-25 years old: 10 eur
- Children under 18: Free.
Official website: ticketsmuseums.comune.fi.it.
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