It should come as no surprise that the cradle of the Renaissance is characterized by large numbers of beautiful historic buildings. Almost every street in the centre of Florence has some beautiful palaces. The most famous ones are Palazzo Vecchio and Palazzo Pitti.
Historic Buildings Florence
Palazzo Vecchio
The Palazzo Vecchio is the present town hall of Florence, but since its construction (around 1300) it has served as the seat of the various Republican governments that settled in the city. It is located in the Piazza della Signoria. Part of the building is used as a museum. The most striking part of the façade is the Torre di Arnolfo.
Palazzo Medici-Riccardi
The Palazzo Medici-Riccardi is one of the most interesting buildings in Florence and more or less inspired the more famous Palazzo Pitti and Palazzo Strozzi. Its main attraction is the Cappella dei Magi.
Palazzo Uguccioni
The Palazzo Uguccioni was built in 1550 by order of Giovanni Uguccioni. It is the only private building in the city with columns built against the façade. The bust of Francesco I de Medici is attributed to Giambologna. (Address: Piazza della Signoria, 7)
Palazzo delle Assicurazioni Generali
The Palazzo delle Assicurazioni Generali, built in 1871, was the last palace built in Piazza della Signoria. The ground floor is characterized by a number of arches and prestigious shops. One of the most famous of these is the Bar Rivoire. Apart from the arches, the architecture differs from the typical Renaissance style with the use of pietra serena instead of the pietraforte sandstone. (Address: Piazza della Signoria, 5)
Palazzo Canacci
The Palazzo Canacci was built in the second half of the 15th century. It is characterised by a long, three-storey façade and a small loggia supported by columns. It is the seat of the Calcio Fiorentino organisation. (Address: Piazza di Parte Guelfa, 1)
Palazzo Lanfredini
The Palazzo Lanfredini was built in the beginning of the 16th century by order of the then Gonfaloniere della Giustizia. The architect was Baccio d’Agnolo, who probably merged several existing buildings. (Address: Lungarno Guicciardini.)