Piazza della Signoria was a center of political life in medieval Florence. Here located the Palazzo Vecchio where a few centuries earlier gathered the city’s authorities.
Initially Piazza della Signoria was located near the ancient center of Roman Florence. Next to it were the Roman Theater and city’s therms and at the south side Piazza della Signoria bordered with so-called fullonica, place where Romans colored textiles.
All Roman buildings, including the San-Romalo church, disappeared with time without any vestiges. They were demolished or dismantled to support other buildings.
The history of emerging of square related with legend. They say that the lands of Piazza della Signoria belonged to the Uberti family which didn’t support any movement in medieval Florence (city was divided to the two parties: Guelphs and Ghibellines). When family lost its influence in the city the lands were confiscated and all buildings were destroyed. With time all land has been paved to prevent Uberti restore their buildings.
Its current shape Piazza della Signoria took as result of sporadic and chaotic development. Any planning and laying out of the square began only in 1307 when city’s authorities gave part of the land to build Palazzo Vecchio. Curiously enough that written sources of 14th century mentioned Piazza della Signoria as a spot of construction rubbish.
Next time Piazza della Signoria has been remodeled after 1560 when Duke Cosimo First rebuilt Uffizi Gallery and in 1871 when Loggia dei Pisani has been destroyed.
First of all Piazza della Signoria attracts attention by sculptures and Loggia della Signoria. Each sculpture of Piazza emerged on the square to commemorate certain historical event in the life of Florence. If you reach the Piazza from the side of Duomo first statue you will face will be the statue of Duke Cosimo the First by Giambologna. This statue is reminiscent the statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius in Rome and thus connects the Florence with the glory of ancient Empire.
Next time Cosimo appeared on the Piazza in the image of Neptune in fountain “Fontana del Nettuno”. This work of Bartolomeo Ammanati was ridiculed by Michelangelo who said that Ammanati just spoiled marble. Residents of the city assert that this statue prowls over the city in the full moon nights. And next to it there is a stone with inscription that here was burned Savonarola in 1498.
Most of sculptures of the square are copies. Their originals are kept now in museums of Florence. But here, at the Piazza della Signoria you can see them all and envision how place looked a few centuries ago. Loggia dei Pisani has been built in the 1376 by designs of Jacopo di Cione to protect the city’s authorities from the bad weather during the public events. Later the building was used for reception of envoys and for accommodation of mercenaries.
Today the Loggia is a small museum of sculpture under the open sky. Most famous exhibit of the museum is a “Perseus” of Benvennuto Cellini who worked on it during ten years.
