Palace of Gondi (Palazzo Gondi) - an Italian Renaissance palace in Florence, which is one of the best in the city and has been owned by the Gondi family for more than 500 years.
The Gondi Palace is located in the historical center of Florence, at the corner of Via dei Gondi and Piazza di San Firenze.
View of the square and the Gondi Palace (far left)
The palace was commissioned by Giuliano di Lionardo Gondi in 1490-1501 by the Italian architect Giuliano da Sangallo, who took as an example for the construction of other majestic buildings in the city, such as the Medici Palace and Strozzi Palace, but with an updated stylistic reinterpretation.
Although the palace was inhabited, it remained completely unfinished for a long time. At the end of the 17th century, Antonio Maria Ferri worked on architecture, and Matteo Boneci worked on the picturesque design of the palace. After that, the palace was expanded due to the demolition of nearby Gondi houses. So, Leonardo da Vinci lived in one of the houses destroyed for the expansion of the palace, rented by his father Serge Piero for 30 florins a year from Gondi. Legend has it that it was here that Leonardo painted one of his most famous works "Giaconda" (Mona Lisa, which is now on display in the Louvre). Also here Leonardo painted the corpse of Bernardo Bandini, seen from the window of the house, hanged near the Palazzo Vecchio after the Pazzi conspiracy.
Throughout history, and today, the palace belonged to the Gondi family.
This corner palace is considered one of the best Florentine buildings of its time - an exquisite example of Florentine residential architecture of the fifteenth century.
The palace has a cubic shape located around the central courtyard, an upward-sloping stone on each of the three floors, arched windows on string rows and a cornice.
The most interesting thing about the appearance of that time was that in the design of the windows, the stones are arranged in such a way that they resemble the facets of a gemstone. The windows of the second floor are designed slightly wider than the others to compensate for the optical angle.
On the corner of the house there is the coat of arms of the Gondi family, which was created in 1874, but was replaced by a copy in 1972.
Interior and visit to the Gondi Palace
Today, the palace still belongs to the descendants of the Gondi family, and it can be visited partially by appointment. There is a bar on the ground floor.
Events and private evenings are also held in the elegant halls of the palace. On infrequent open days, free access to the palace is possible.
The palace has a monumental courtyard surrounded by a portico with Corinthian columns on four sides. There is a 17th-century fountain in the courtyard, which uses water from the Boboli Gardens, which also supply the Neptune Fountain in the nearby Piazza della Signoria.
From the courtyard begins the monumental Sangallo staircase leading to the upper floors of the palace. There is a statue of a Roman Togate on the porch.
Among the decorations inside the palace there is a fresco, several paintings by Italian and French artists, as well as furniture, sculptures and other decorations and household items.
On the ground floor there is a room and a luxurious lobby with large portraits of the most important members of the House of Gondi of the French branch, starting with Giuliano the Elder, as well as a voluminous coat of arms of Gondi and a beautiful monumental fireplace designed by Giuliano da Sangallo between 1501 and 1505. The fireplace is topped by two large statues, Hercules and Samson.
On the third floor there is an apartment with a rooftop terrace with beautiful views of Piazza San Firenze, Bargello Palace Museum and Vecchio Palace Museum, and various terraces on several levels, on one of which Pietro Porcinai created a wonderful hanging garden.
In the basement, where there used to be cellars with irregular arches, a wine shop and a catering room are open. The wine shop has wines produced by the Gondi family on the Bossi estate.
Practical information
For information about the possibility of visiting the Gondi Palace, as well as ordering a tour of the palace, we recommend checking on the official website: palazzo-gondi.
Address of the Gondi Palace: Via dei Gondi, 2, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy.
Gondi Palace coordinates: 43°46'11.0"N 11°15'26.0"E (43.769722, 11.257222).
Next to the Gondi Palace is the chic 5-star Bernini Palace Hotel, located in a 15th-century building and decorated with antique furniture and Murano glass chandeliers.
Some rooms are decorated in a classic style. Other rooms are decorated in the Florentine Renaissance style with antique tapestries and four-poster beds. All rooms are equipped with a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, air conditioning and a minibar.
The hotel's terrace, furnished with tables and chairs, offers panoramic views.
Breakfast is included in the room rate. Link to the hotel
All accommodation facilities in Florence (hotels, apartments, guest houses, etc.), including those in the historic city center, near the Gondi Palace and more remotely from those, can be view and book here
