The Palazzo Orlandini del Beccuto is a historic building in the Via de’ Pecori in Florence. After having been in the possession of several noble families for centuries, it has been the seat of the Monte dei Paschi di Siena bank since the beginning of the 21st century.
Palazzo Orlandini del Beccuto Florence
History and description
The current view of the enormous building is the result of a renovation in 1679. The architect of the new project was Antonio Maria Ferri (1651-1716). In order to restructure the palazzo het merged two existing buildings.
The Monte dei Paschi di Siena is the oldest bank in the world. When this bank bought the building, they had the interior restored to its original state as much as possible. In 2018, the bank ran into financial difficulties. Despite having to close many branches, the one in the Palazzo Orlandini was preserved.
The interior is characterized by a beautiful terracotta floor and the only wall fountain in the city. This fountain can be seen in the courtyard of the building, where a number of antique architectural elements have also been incorporated into the wall.
Antonio Maria Ferri
The architect spent some time working in Rome, but most of his output can be seen in and around Florence. He is known for a number of funerary monuments (among others in the San Lorenzo Basilica) and for the monumental staircases he designed for some of the town’s most important mansions. Ferri himself is buried in the Santa Maria del Carmine Church.