Famous castles and palaces of Italy . ong been the Palazzo de Priori or Palazzo Vecchio,as it is now called. This famous and well-knownbuilding, familiar to everyone by photographs at least,was begun on 29th February 1249, by Arnolfo Cambio,in emulation of the Palazzo Pubblico at Siena. ThePalazzo Vecchio in its original form was strictly theCastle of the Guilds of Florence, which had imposedtheir rule in the thirteenth century over the whole city.It was, in short, the stronghold of the commercialoligarchy. The early government of Florence hadbeen mainly aristocratic, and all its functions wer
Image details
Contributor:
The Reading Room / Alamy Stock PhotoImage ID:
2AKKJPPFile size:
7.1 MB (487.9 KB Compressed download)Releases:
Model - no | Property - noDo I need a release?Dimensions:
1326 x 1883 px | 22.5 x 31.9 cm | 8.8 x 12.6 inches | 150dpiMore information:
This image is a public domain image, which means either that copyright has expired in the image or the copyright holder has waived their copyright. Alamy charges you a fee for access to the high resolution copy of the image.
This image could have imperfections as it’s either historical or reportage.
Famous castles and palaces of Italy . ong been the Palazzo de Priori or Palazzo Vecchio, as it is now called. This famous and well-knownbuilding, familiar to everyone by photographs at least, was begun on 29th February 1249, by Arnolfo Cambio, in emulation of the Palazzo Pubblico at Siena. ThePalazzo Vecchio in its original form was strictly theCastle of the Guilds of Florence, which had imposedtheir rule in the thirteenth century over the whole city.It was, in short, the stronghold of the commercialoligarchy. The early government of Florence hadbeen mainly aristocratic, and all its functions were per-formed by the nobles; but by 1282 the Arts or guilds, among which the Wool-Weavers and Silk-Workers werethe most important members, had gained possession ofthe executive power, which they entrusted to their ownPriori or Guild-masters. The body thus installed inthe Palazzo Vecchio was known as the Signoria: itretained power in Florence until the gradual rise of the COURT OF THE BARGELLO, FLORENCE. FROM A PAINTING BY C. E. DAWSON, . THREE FAMOUS COMMUNAL PALACES 175 democratic despotism of the Medici. The fortress-likeappearance of the palace is due to the fact that thecommercial oligarchy had to hold its own by forcewithin the city against the great nobles on the onehand, and popular rising on the other. ^ The facade fronting the piazza is Arnolfos ownwork; the rear portions in the squalid Via dei Leoniwere added by Vasari and Buontalenti in the latter halfof the sixteenth century. The tower rises almost, butcuriously enough not quite, in the middle of this fa9ade.It is in two storeys, the upper having been added in1453. Th^ Duke of Athens during his brief reignplanned to make the strong palazzo the keep of agreat fortress, and added to it new battlements, and afortified portico which was demolished on his downfall.Two stone lions, the heraldic beasts of the people ofFlorence, were at the same time set outside the entrance.A ringhiera or balcony was also built where themagis