Located in the heart of Florence, Palazzo dei Cartelloni, also known as Palazzo Viviani, is a monument that honors the revolutionary scientist Galileo Galilei. Residence of Vincenzo Viviani, Galilei’s assistant until he died in 1642, that you can visit whilst strolling through via Sant’Antonio 11.
After Galileo Galilei’s death, Viviani wanted to create a monument to commemorate this great scientist but the road to get there was not easy because the Church thought it was inopportune to honor a man that was considered a heretic. Let’s find out more about the history of this beautiful palace!
Architecture of Palazzo dei Cartelloni
In the XVth century, the building where Palazzo dei Cartelloni is located housed the Giocondo families and it was apparently built by Giovanni Battista Nelli. In 1610, Giovanni Caccini made the infamous bust of Galileo Galilei but it’s not actually the one we see today. The bust located on the main door is, in fact, sculpted by Giovanni Battista Foggini.
The building presents some particular elements, starting from the two Latin epigraphs located on the sides of the main entrance. These two epigraphs, which almost look like billboards, narrate the discoveries and scientific achievements of Galileo Galilei and they’re the reason Palazzo Viviani is called Palazzo dei Cartelloni (Palace of Billboards). The architectural style that this palace was built in is Baroque.
Another interesting aspect of Palazzo dei Cartelloni is its rooms, which underwent a lot of maintenance work throughout the centuries. The walls and ceilings of these rooms present some amazing frescoes depicting both romantic and grotesque scenes that were probably made in the 19th century. The small garden of this Palace, which was also recently restored, also makes for a magical place with its hedges, trees and fountains and it also presents a double staircase that leads to the terrace.
The owners throughout history
After Vincenzo Viviani’s death in 1703, Palazzo dei Cartelloni was inherited by Abbot Paolo Panzanini, his nephew, and later on passed through generations in the family, landing to Giovanni Battista Nelli’s son, who also chose to publish the inscriptions on the billboard in his book “Galileo’s Life and Literary Commerce”.
The palace was also owned by the Sermolli family and the Loria Family and nowadays it’s property of the US’s SACI (Studio Arts College International).
The wine windows
Another interesting aspect of this palace is its wine windows, known in Italy as “buchette del vino”. These small holes were used throughout the centuries to sell wine in fiascos (glass bottles) without having to pay taxes to open a store. They’re very common in the city of Florence and they’re usually indicators that the people that lived in the Palace produced their own wine. See if you can spot some more whilst walk through the streets of Florence!
Conclusion
Palazzo dei Cartelloni surely is an amazing palace that is worth a visit if you’re in Florence! If you truly want to immerse yourself in the city of Florence, make sure to check out our other blogs and book a Florence private tour with us!
