Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Via della Vigna
Nuova
3
Map
3 B1 (5 B3).
Reflecting its associations
with wealthy Renaissance
Florentines, such as the
Rucellai, Via della Vigna
Nuova has a number of
fashionable clothes shops.
Nearly all the major Italian
designers can be found here,
as well as several smaller
shops selling quality silks,
cashmeres and lingerie.
Fashion houses doing busi-
ness along Via della Vigna
Nuova are La Perla (No. 17),
Mariella Burani (No. 32r) and
Beltrami (No. 70r) for leather
goods.
THE BIGGEST PALAZZO IN FLORENCE
The Strozzi family were
exiled from Florence in
1434 for their opposition to
the Medici, but in 1466 the
banker Filippo Strozzi,
having built up a fortune in
Naples, returned to the
city, determined to
outdo his great rivals.
He became a man
obsessed. For years he
bought up and
demolished other
palaces around
his home. At
last, he
acquired
enough land
to achieve his
ambition: to build
the biggest palace
ever seen in
Florence. Having spent so
much money to get this far,
nothing was left to chance.
Astrologers were brought in
to choose the most favour-
able day on which to lay
the foundation stone, and
the walls of the monu-
mental palace began to
rise in 1489. Two years
later Filippo Strozzi
was dead, and,
though his heirs
struggled on
with the
building, the
cost of pursu-
ing Filippo's
grandiose
vision finally left
them penniless
and bankrupt.
Filippo Strozzi
(1428-91)
Palazzo Strozzi
5
Piazza degli Strozzi.
Map
3 C1
(5 C3).
Tel
055 264 51 55.
7 &
for tethering horses, which
adorn the corners and façades.
The elegance of the
courtyard itself has been
destroyed by a huge iron fire
escape, constructed when the
building was converted to a
major exhibition venue. In
recent years, it has hosted
world-class exhibitions of art
and antiquities. During major
exhibitions, visitors can also
access “La Strozzina” free of
charge. This is a vaulted
gallery space at basement
level with changing displays.
When there are no exhibi-
tions, visitors may access
only the central courtyard.
The palace also houses
various learned institutes
and an excellent library, the
Gabinetto Vieusseux, named
after the 19th-century Swiss
scholar Gian Pietro Vieusseux.
He founded a scientific and
literary association in 1818,
which was attended by,
among others, the French
author Stendhal.
for exhibitions.
The Strozzi Palace is awesome
because of its sheer size: 15
buildings were demolished to
make way for it, and although
it is only three storeys high,
each floor is as tall as a
normal palazzo. The palace
was commissioned by the
wealthy banker Filippo
Strozzi, but he died in 1491,
only two years after the
foundation stone was laid.
The building was not com-
pleted until 1536, and three
major architects had a hand
in its design - Giuliano da
Sangallo, Benedetto da Maiano
and Simone del Pollaiuolo
(also known as Cronaca).
The exterior, built of huge
rusticated masonry blocks,
remains unspoiled. Look out
for the original Renaissance
torch-holders, lamps and rings
Pucci window display, Via de'
Tornabuoni
Via de'
Tornabuoni
4
Map
1 C5 (5 C2).
Ferragamo
Museum
Tel
055 336 04 56.
#
10am-6pm Wed-Mon.
8
for
groups of 10 or more.
&
This is the most elegant shop-
ping street in Florence, lined
with boutiques such as
Salvatore Ferragamo (No.
14r), Pucci (No. 20r), Roberto
Cavalli (No. 83r), Gucci (No.
73r), Prada for men (No. 67r),
Prada for women (No. 53r),
Armani (No. 48/50r), Bulgari
(No. 61r) and Cartier (No. 40r).
The Ferragamo Museum (No.
2) focuses on the firm's efforts
in shoe-making. The medieval
tower at the end of the street,
now a hotel, used to be a pri-
vate club for local aristocrats.
Exterior of Palazzo Strozzi, with masonry block rustication
