Palazzo Vecchio

Palazzo Vecchio (The Old Palace) is today Florence’s City Hall. It was designed as the Palazzo del Popolo, or People’s Palace, and building started at the very end of the the 13th century.

One of the most famous landmarks in the city is the fortress-like building with crenelated walls. The palace has been renamed in various ways throughout its long history, its original name was Palazzo della Signoria, which was replaced by Palazzo Vecchio when the Medici court moved to the Palace of Pitti.

Quick facts

• Name: Palazzo Vecchio
• Location: Florence, Italy
• Built 1299
• Type of attraction: Architectural/Palace
• Ticket price: From 22 Euro ($25)

Today, Palazzo Vecchio is home to the Museo dei Ragazzi and here we also find the Town Hall offices and the Cinquecento Hall which today retains its original use for special audiences and activities.

Recently, Palazzo was featured in movie Inferno, based on the book of Dan Brown, starring Tom Hanks. There are special tours designed to guide you though secret passages of the palace.

Interesting facts about Palazzo Vecchio

He are some interesting facts about this amazing historical building:

• An extraordinary planetary clock is located in the Palace’s Hall of Lilies, completed in 1510 by Lorenzo della Volpaia.
• The Palace was also the site of a famous scientific experiment. In September 1657, the members of the Accademia del Cimento conducted a barometer experiment to verify the variation in atmospheric pressure at different altitudes.
• Some of the rooms in the Palace are designed with scientific themes in mind. One of these is the Studiolo of Francesco I, decorated with an iconographic program that shows the Grand Duke’s passionate interest in the “medicinal foundry” and alchemy. Also, the Hall of Geographic Charts, is designed with decorations representing views of the city and the landscape.

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