Art Walks
alisong
FLORENCECITYWALK52.pptxGUELPHS AND GHIBELLINES
WALK V
FLORENCE BETWEEN 13TH-14TH CENTURIES
BARGELLO (VOLOGNANA TOWER)
The word Bargello appears to come from the late Latin bargillus (from Gothic bargi and German burg), meaning "castle" or "fortified tower”;
During the Italian Middle Ages it was the name given to a military captain in charge of keeping peace and justice ("Captain of justice") during riots and uproars;
In Florence he was usually hired from a foreign city to prevent any appearance of favoritism on the part of the Captain. The position could be compared with that of a current Chief of Police. The name Bargello was extended to the building which was the office of the captain.
Construction began in 1255. The palace was built to house first the Capitano del Popolo and later, in 1261, the Podestà the highest magistrate of the Florence City Council. This Palazzo del Podestà, as it was originally called, is the oldest public building in Florence. This austere crenellated building served as model for the construction of the Palazzo Vecchio.
It was employed as a prison; executions took place in the Bargello's yard until they were abolished by Grand Duke Peter Leopold in 1786.
The Bargello became a National Museum, only after 1859.
TORRE DELLA CASTAGNA (CHESTNUT TOWER)
TORRE DELLA CASTAGNA, located in the Piazzetta San Martino
Already built by 1038, the tower was donated to the monks of the near Badia Fiorentina to defend the monastery;
It became the meeting place of the Priory of Arts of Florence from 1282 until the completion of the Bargello Palace;
The name of the tower originated from the voting process used by the Priors, which involved putting chestnuts in a bag and then comparing the number of chestnuts to the number of voters;
It is said that to prevent intrusions or to minimize pressure from politicians, wealthy bankers and traders, the Priors would inclose themselves in the tower for days until they had finished voting;
The Priory of Arts was created in 1282 and represented the executive power in the city, along with the Capitano del Popolo;
Access to political life in Florence was achieved through enrollment in one of the powerful guilds of Arts and Crafts;
Among its members, 3 (later 6) Priors were appointed;
These guilds were created in the 12th century in many European cities to regulate and protect the activities of workers belonging to the same professional trade;
In Italy, trades they were defined generically “Arts”;
The Priors remained in office for only two months. While allowing a certain mobility among its members, this also prevented the centralization of power in the hands of a single person, protecting the city from potential tyranny;
After a series of laws called the Ordinances of Justice were passed in 1293, to hold public office, it became necessary to not only be a member of a corporation, but also to practice a profession;
It is most likely that these ordinances served to curb the power of the nobles;
PALAGIO DI PARTE GUELFA (GUELPHS MAGISTRACY)
The Palazzo di Parte Guelfa, marks an other important example in the development of structures that performed specific civic and administrative functions;
The Palazzo begun in the 1200, has certain broad similarities to the Bargello, although it is less monumental in concept and its construction history is more fragmented;
With the definitive victory of Guelphs over the Ghibellines in the 1289, the Capitani di Parte Guelfa grew to become a powerful magistracy;
The original principal function was to administer the properties confiscated from the Ghibellines, also it became the body responsible for the building and maintenance of the city’s fortifications, public buildings and highways were included;
The erliest nucleus of the building dated back to the 1200, although a series of enlargements took place in the following century;
Around 1420 Brunelleschi developed the construction with an imposing new hall, containing an audience chamber;
The interior has a similar clarity and simplicity, later modified by the insertion of Vasari’s coffered ceiling;
PALAZZO VECCHIO
This palace was given several names: Palazzo dei Priori (1300s), Palazzo della Signoria (1400s),and Palazzo Ducale (1540-1550 under Cosimo I de’Medici), in accordance with the varying use of the palace during its long history;
The building acquired its current name, Palazzo Vecchio when the Medici duke's residence was moved across the Arno to the Pitti Palace (1565);
In 1299, the people of Florence decided to build a palace that would be worthy of the city's importance, and that would be more secure and defensible in times of turbulence for the magistrates of the commune;
Arnolfo di Cambio the architect of the Duomo and the Santa Croce church, began the construction;
The building is made of solid rusticated stonework, with two rows of two-lighted Gothic windows, each with a trefoil arch;
In the 15th century, Michelozzo added decorative bas-reliefs of the cross and the Florentine lily, between the trefoils;
The building is crowned with projecting crenellated battlement supported by small arches and corbels;
Under the arches are a repeated series of nine painted coats of arms of the Florentine republic;
