La Piazza della Signoria

 Our lollipop girl started her walk down the street, and we followed along to the Piazza della Signoria the political part of Florence.  We came upon castle looking fortress on the far end of the square. This became the seat of government when Cosimo I moved in in 1540.  It is now a museum.

Palazzo Vecchio now a gallery and where the city mayor conducts business.

       When we think of the Italian Renaissance, we often think about the Medici era in Florence. The Florence Republic prided themselves as being democratic and secular although the Medici family tended to manipulate things.  They were into banking and textile trade.  The Medici Bank became one of the most prosperous in Europe expanding from Italy to other countries.  This political dynasty lasted from the 1400 thorough the 1500 fostering art and humanism.  They backed many guilds that flourished in the city.  Their textile guild was the Arte della Lana(wool).  This Palazzo Vecchio was the political center in the early part of the 1400 until the palace was moved to the Pitti Palace across the Arno River.
     The Medicis were also involved with the Catholic Church.  It is important to note that the renaissance movement was not against religion but many felt that man was given powers by God that expected man to use his intellect and body to solve problems instead of just prayer alone here on earth.  Just to be on the safe side though the Medici family became involved with the powerful Catholic Church.   The Medicis produced four Popes: Pope Leo X (1513-1521), Pope Clement VII (1523-1534), Pope Pius IV (1559-1565), and Pope Leo XI (1605.)
     Being in with the Popes also helped them in their textile industry.  There was a discovery of the substance known as alum in Tolfa, Italy.  Alum is essential in the dyeing of certain cloths and was used extensively in Florence where the main industry was textile manufacturing.  Up to this time the Turks were the only exporters of alum, so Europe was forced to buy from them until the discovery of alum in Italy.  Pope Pius II granted the Medici family a monopoly on the mining rights there, making them the primary producers of Alum.
       Another area they extended their influence was in setting themselves up as royalty and marrying into other royal families in Europe.  They were connected to Spain through he marriage of Cosimo I to Elenore of Toledo.  By marrying Catherine de Medici to the son for Francis I of France they got influence in the French Empire. Furthermore,Mary Medici daughter of Cosimo's son Francesco became queen of France.  Thus the line of the Medici family progressed through every succeeding French monarch.

Cosimo I of the Medici family

   Arriving at the square, Bianca told us about the history of the Medici family and about the sculptures in the square.

Bianca giving us a history lesson!

  We looked out to the square and our direction went to the man on the horse.  This is Cosimo I.

Cosimo I

         To the side of the plaza is the Neptune Fountain commissioned for the wedding of Francesco 1 de Medici and grand Duchess Johanna of Austria in 1565.  This marriage was not a happy one as told in the novel, Bianca by Robert Elegant and the history of this fountain seems to attest to this fact.  It has seen a lot of damage through the years.  In 1580 it was used a a wash basin.  At the end of the century one of the satyrs was stolen during the Carnival.  In 1848 it was bombed by the Bourbons of Spain. After its restoration in 1982 it was painted blue after a win by Florence's Soccer team. in 2005 a drunk man climbed and slipped and broke off one of the hands.

Across the square Bianca showed us a covered building with lots of statues.

 This was formerly a rostrum where citizens could stand on a box and give their opinions.  Later when the Medici figured that displaying good art was more important than free speech, they changed  this Loggia into an outside display area.  The chosen sculptures depict the Florentine themes: Conquest through intellect and Dominance.

Perseus holding the head of Medusa by Benvenuto Cellini

        First we have Perseus holding the severed head of Medusa.  Using his wits, he tricks Medusa by looking at his shield until she is close to him, then closing his eyes he turns and severs her head from her body.  If he had looked at her ugly head directly, he would have turned to stone.  So he used his brain to trick her.

        Then we have Giambologna's Rape of the Sabine women. Tells the story of early Rome when the Romans needed females to mate in order to prolong their race.  They invaded a near by village and stole their women.  In this statue Giambologna shows the intertwined bodies using one piece of marble. He depicts the last desperate view of the wife as she twists to see her husband before she is taken by the stronger Roman.  As you walk around this statue, it is even more alive as you see the straining muscles and the force of the rape.  This is a truly amazing sculpture displaying profound emotion.

Rape of the Sabine Women

To the left of the Loggia, two statues flank the entrance of the Pallazo Vecchio.

Entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio

 The one on the tight is a sculpture of Hercules and Cacus by Baccio Bandenelli. It depicts the demi-god Hercules, who killed the fire-belching monster Cacus during his tenth labor for stealing cattle.  It shows a symbol of physical strength.  It is balanced by the other statue,  The David which shows spiritual strength.  Both  show the symbols desired by the Medici dynasty: the victor (Medici) vanquishing the republican enemies.  The "fake" David is across on the other side of the entrance.  The "Real" David is in the Accademia Gallery placed there for protection from vandals and weather elements.

Hercules and Cacus

 To tower was placed where a previous one was erected on a previous building.  That is why it is not centered on this building. The tower has a prison that once held Savonarola, the rebellious monk.  The clock by Vincenzo Viviani was placed on the tower in 1667.  Below the crenellated battlement are painted nine coats of arms of the Florentine republic.  The tower was used as a lookout tower and the windows of the palazzo where high enough to prevent being hit by tones from angry mobs during unrest that occurred on the square form time to time.  The tower holds three bells.

Bell tower

Bianca pointed to the little attachment between the Uffizi building and the Palazzo.  This is part of the Vasari Corridor.  It happens that Cosimo I did not want to walk down to the square to get from his office in the Uffizi from his home in the palace.  So he had Giorgio Vasari his architect build a passage way between the two buildings.

Vasari Corridor between the Uffizi and the Palazzo Vecchio

Later when the Palazzo Pitti was built across the Arno River the Vasari Corridor was extended to go above the houses that lined the river and across the Ponte Vecchio Bridge to the palace.  The area where it went over the bridge used to be a butcher shop where the butcher could drop remains into the water below.  There was always a bad stink in this area so when the corridor was built, the site was replaced gold smiths.

Extension of the Vasari Corridor

I was reading the novel, Dante by Dan Brown at the time, and there is a part of the story that takes place in the Vasari Corridor.

Just as we were getting ready to leave the square, we heard the sound of drums coming down the street.  As we looked we, were thrilled to see a parade of men dressed in Renaissance clothes as they headed to the door of the Palazzo Vecchio.  They were advertising the feast of  San Giovanni on June 24 that would take place in the Piazza de Santa Croce with a Calcio Storico - a soccer game played in the square.  Calcio Storico began in the 16th century. The rules are slightly different from regular calcio or soccer. Three matches are played each year. Head-butting, punching, elbowing, and choking are all legal. A violent match, sometimes people get hurt but it never seems to dampen anyone’s enthusiasm for the game.  It all ends with grand fireworks display!

If you have ITunes, you can watch the parade!