Visit Palazzo Vecchio in Florence
Tour guide in Florence
Discover the political heart of Florence with a licensed tour guide . Palazzo della Signoria , better known as Palazzo Vecchio .
from 180 Euro
Price for private tour in Florence
DESCRIPTION
until the central apotheosis of Cosimo I. Later, on the first floor, rooms are all dedicated to an important member of the Medici family and we will enter the Grand-Ducal Apartments, where you could see the statues “Judith and Holofernes” by Donatello and the “Putto with Dolphin” by Verrocchio. A guided tour into Palazzo Vecchio will make you acknowledge the history of Florence and, at the end of the tour, the most athletic and fearless visitors will be able to choose to go on the top of the Arnolfo’s tower to have a wonderful view across the city.
PRICE
The price is not per person but is referred to couples, families, or groups of friends up to 7 people.
For larger groups please contact us for a quotation.
The price does not include the cost of the ticket.
After the violent war between Guelphs and Ghibellines had ended with the victory of the Guelphs, the new building representing the political power was born: Palazzo della Signoria, more known as Palazzo Vecchio.
Over the ruins of the Ghibellines’ house-towers, the architect Arnolfo di Cambio builds his palace and his tower, called ‘torre di Arnolfo’.
Arnolfo in the same period also made the project for the Cathedral of Florence and for the Baslica di Santa Croce.
Since its construction, Palazzo Vecchio has always been the heart of the Florentine political power – nowadays, it holds the municipality and the Mayor’s offices. Once the symbol of the Guelphs’ victory, Palazzo della Signoria saw the ascent and the exile of the Albizi, the arrest and the supremacy of Cosimo the Elder, the Florentine Republic and the dark break of the Savonarola Republic. However, almost any internal decorations date back to Cosimo I de’Medici, first Grand Duke of Tuscany who lived there for several years.
The guided tour into Palazzo Vecchio will begin from the Salone dei Cinquecento, scene of the Florentine political history, whose frescoes all refer to the glory of the Medici until the central apotheosis of Cosimo I. During the guided tour, you will be able to see the alchemy and mysteries around the Medici history. At the end of the Salone you will see the Studiolo of Francesco I (studiolo means little studio), a real Wunderkammer, where alchemical symbols, boltholes and secret passages create a magical chest. Later, on the first floor, rooms are all dedicated to an important member of the Medici family and we will enter the Grand-Ducal Apartments, where you could see the statues “Judith and Holofernes” by Donatello and the “Putto with Dolphin” by Verrocchio.
A guided tour into Palazzo Vecchio will make you acknowledge the history of Florence and, at the end of the tour, the most athletic and fearless visitors will be able to choose to go on the top of the Arnolfo’s tower to have a wonderful view across the city.
