HISTORY, STATE AND FINISHES

The apartment is located at the noble floor of one of the houses that belonged in the past to the architect Bernardo Buontalenti (1531 – 1608) who, however, never lived in this property himself. The current look of the building can be traced to a restoration of the early 18^th century based on a project by Pietro Paolo Giovannozzi (1658 – 1734), architect and engineer working for the Capitani di Parte Guelfa.

The building is still based on a late-Renaissance template, but one can easily see the reworked features added in the 18^th century. The ground floor features two huge entrance doorways with an ashlar frame and six more openinings currently occupied by boutiques and shops. On the piano nobile there are several other windows, all framed in stone, and two balconies. Moving up, the uppermost floors feature the same type of windows but they become simpler and simpler the further they are from the ground.

Inside, the apartment was recently restored and the beautiful finishes have been highlighted. The main hall, in particular, boasts frescoed walls that closely resemble the interiors of a classical building with columns, half-columns, bass-reliefs and vaulted ceilings with painted coffered ceilings. The door frames, the only really tridimensional element, harmonically merge with the nearby faux architectures.

The floorings of the apartment are covered in parquet, both in the living and sleeping area. The other rooms feature painted vaulted ceilings, decorated wooden beams, coffers painted with floral motives and wooden decorations. Moldings running throughout the halls also double as supports for a led lighting system.

WHAT TO SEE IN FLORENCE

The apartment, thanks to its central position in the heart of Florence, allows reaching many of the most interesting landmarks in the city on foot. Ranked by distance these are Piazza del Duomo with its incredible cathedral (150 m; 2’), Palazzo Medici (300 m; 4’) and the adjacent Basilica di San Lorenzo decorated by Michelangelo and Brunelleschi (380m; 4’), Piazza della Signoria (750 m; 10’), the church of Santa Croce with the tombs of many Italian artists (850 m; 10’), the church of Santa Maria Novella (900 m; 10’) next to the central station, the beautiful and unique Ponte Vecchio (1.0 km; 12’), the Uffizi Gallery (1.0 km; 13’), the imposing Medicean Fortezza da Basso (1.2 km; 12’), the impressive Palazzo Pitti (1.4 km; 15’), the church of Santo Spirito in Oltrarno (1.5 km; 15’) and finally the unique and wonderful panoramic terrace of Piazzale Michelangelo (2.2 km; 20’).

What’s more, the many shops and boutiques in the historic center of Florence can be easily reached in a few minutes’ walk.