Palazzo della Signoria, better known as Palazzo Vecchio, has been the symbol of the civic power of Florence for over seven centuries. Built between the end of the thirteenth century and the beginning of the fourteenth to house the city’s supreme governing body, the Priori delle Arti and the Gonfalonier of Justice, over time it has been subject to a series of extensions and transformations.
After the entrance leads directly into the Cortile of Michelozzo, the courtyard adorned with stuccoes and frescoes. Upstairs is placed the Salone dei Cinquecento, where a majestic cycle of pictures celebrates the apotheosis of Cosimo de’ Medici and the city of Florence and a rich array of statues accompany Michelangelo’s celebrated Victory.
