Archive for 'Florence'

The fortress style Romanesque town hall of Florence, Palazzo Vecchio is among one of the most spectacular buildings in the city! It’s located at Piazza della Signoria and houses many stunning artworks.

It’s had many names over the centuries such as Palazzo della Signoria and Palazzo Ducale but became known as Palazzo Vecchio meaning ‘Old Palace’ when the Medici family moved their primary residence to the Pitti Palace.

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The famous architect, Arnolfo di Cambio designed and oversaw its construction which commenced in 1299. He worked on other notable monuments in Florence including the Santa Croce church and the masterpiece that is the domed cathedral.

Forte Belvedere is the second largest fortress in Florence city! It began construction in 1590 under the guidance of architect Bernardo Buontalenti by order of the rich and powerful Medici family.

During the 16th century, Florence was flourishing and Forte Belvedere was a testament of that power and prosperity.

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It’s located high up on a hill within the grounds of the Boboli gardens beside the Medici residence, the Pitti Palace. It overlooks the River Arno and was purposely built here to strengthen what was believed to have been one of the weak points of the walls that once entirely enveloped Florence.

After a massive restoration project, the San Niccolò tower is open to the public once more. This historic tower was once part of the ancient walls of Florence. It dates back to 1324 and consisted of three arched floors. Soldiers used to stand guard in these arches day and night. It was designed by the famous architect, Arnolfo di Cambio.

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The San Niccolò tower was the only original defensive tower of the city that wasn’t lowered during the Siege of Florence in 1529. The other thirteen towers were lowered as their heights made them easy targets for artillery but the San Niccolò tower wasn’t as the Miniato hill in front of it served as its natural protection.

During the 11th and 12th centuries, Florence was flourishing as a Renaissance city, growing richer and more powerful every day.

Noble families living here were often feuding with each other and many of them built tall elaborate towers beside their palazzos to show off their wealth. But these towers also served as a form of defence where families could escape through a trapdoor at the bottom along a secret underground passage if the feuds grew too violent!

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Here are some of Florence’s most interesting towers and where they’re located.

Florence was once a heavily walled city, completely enveloped by high strong defensive walls. Today, only a few remains can be seen in the south of the city in the Oltrarno area. Some doors and guard towers still exist here which could be an interesting tour for visiting tourists to make.

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Begin your towering trail with a walk along Via del Proconsolo, situated between a cathedral and Piazza San Firenze, on the Oltrarno side of Florence city. There’s a circle marked here on the road.

The tower in front of it was part of Florence’s first defensive walls dating as far back as 30BC! The circle marks where the foundations of this tower began which was uncovered and later resurfaced during road works here.