One of the reasons I always suggest for people to take
a tour of Florence
(and the other major historic cities) is that you can learn so many interesting
things about the history of the monuments and the city itself. When walking the
streets of Florence there are so many beautiful buildings to admire that often
people just pass them by, without even noticing the particular architectural
features and certainly unaware of their historical significance. Except for the
major monuments, most visitors don’t realize how many of these lovely palazzi
have a story to tell.
Due to its particular façade, this building might
stand out when walking down Via Maggio. Known as the Palazzo di Bianca
Cappello, it was built between 1570 and 1574 by the architect Bernardo
Buontalenti, on the foundations of the original structure dating from the early
1400s. However, it’s the story behind the building that makes it unique. Commissioned
by the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Franceso I de’Medici, for his mistress, Bianca
Cappello, a Venetian noblewoman with whom he had fallen madly in love. He chose
the site especially for its proximity to the Pitti Palace ,
his official residence, making it easy for him to visit his lover frequently. Their
affair proved to be one of the most scandalous of the Renaissance period – as
Francesco was married to Giovanna of Austria, and Bianca to Pietro Buonaventuri
– who was (conveniently?) murdered on the streets of Florence
in 1572.
Bianca Capppello |
After Giovanna’s premature death, Francesco was able
to marry Bianca in 1579 and she then moved into Palazzo Pitti. Yet their story
did not have a happy ending, as the Medici family was opposed to their
relationship from the start and it is suspected that the couple’s death at the
Medici Villa in Poggio a Caiano only 8 years later (and within hours of each
other) might have been the result of poisoning.
The
palazzo had been donated to the Hospital
of Santa Maria Nuova when
Bianca became grand duchess and it was then that the façade was painted with this
particular decoration called sgraffito by Bernardino Poccetti. Today, the
building belongs to the city of Florence
and is used as an archive for the scientific and cultural institute Gabinetto
Vieusseux.