Palazzo Vecchio - Florence Town Hall

Visit the Vecchio palace and tickets Arnolfo Tower in Florene (Firenze)

The impressive Palazzo Vecchio is a beautiful palace in Florence Italy and today houses both a museum and Florence's town hall. More info about tours and tickets for this Florence palace with the Arnolfo Tower climb.

Visit the Florentine seat of power

The Palazzo Vecchio has always been one of the most important palaces of Florence, as it used to serve as a government building, where Florence's political power was seated. Today the palace is still the city hall of Florence, but the palace also serves as a museum where part of the Medici art collection is displayed.

History of Palazzo Vecchio Florence

Construction of the Palazzo Vecchio was completed in 1322. This completion was initiated by placing the clock in the Arnolfo Tower, which was to warn the citizens of Florence of danger. The exterior of the Palazzo Vecchio has remained virtually unchanged over the years, but the interior has been overhauled by Cosimo I de Medici. Vasari was commissioned and he painted several frescoes of Florentine feats of arms. Cosimo I also connected the Palazzo Pitti across the Arno by underground corridors with the Palazzo Vecchio.

^{Palazzo Vecchio with the Arnolfo Tower near the Piazza della Signoria}

^{The Salone dei Cinquecento}

Rooms in the Palazzo Vecchio

The Palazzo Vecchio consists of several rooms, of which the Salone dei Cinquecento is the most famous. Other impressive rooms are: the Cappella di Eleonora, the Sala dei Gigli and the Sala delle Mappe.

In the spotlight: Salone dei Cinquecento

Built in 1495, this 'hall of five hundred' was designed and frescoed by Giorgio Vasari. The hall used to be used for meetings of the counsel of the people, where exactly five hundred people could be present. The hall of five hundred has a coffered ceiling, with the ceiling divided into several panels containing a painting. The most famous can be found in the center of the ceiling. This one is from Vasari and is called the Apotheosis of Cosimo I.

In the spotlight: Capella die Eleonora

Cosimo de Medici married Eleonora from Toledo and transformed the top floor of the Palazzo Vecchio into a small chapel for his wife Eleonora's private dedications. The chapel was painted by Bronzino with Biblical images, in which redemption was central. The frescoes on the walls depict scenes from the life of Moses. The altarpiece is a copy that Bronzino made in 1553 from his original from 1545.

^{The courtyard of the palazzo}

^{The beautifully decorated palace in Florence}

Climb Arnolfo Tower: view over Florence

The bell tower of the Palazzo Vecchio is the oldest part of the palace and was probably designed by Di Cambio. This Arnolfo Tower is 95 meters in total and you can climb it for a beautiful view over the historic center of Firenze. Despite the four hundred steps it is a nice climb to the top, because you can stop at several point. This Arnolfo Tower is not so busy yet as the bell tower of the Duomo. For safety reasons, you cannot enter the Arnolfo Tower when it is raining. Children under the age of six are also not allowed for that reason. Children over six are only allowed to visit the tower in the presence of an adult.

Arnolfo Tower Climb & Palazzo Vecchio Tickets

Where is the palace in Florence Italy?