Old Palace – Palazzo Vecchio and walking tour

The imposing fortress palace has several names, Palazzo dei Priori, Palazzo della Signoria, Palazzo Ducale, Palazzo Vecchio. As it has always been the political heart of the city it was modified and enriched over the centuries. It has been the site of the government since 1300. Niccolò Machiavelli had his office here and in its famous 16thcentury Hall Michelangelo competed with Leonardo da Vinci to decorate the main Hall. The history of the palace is strictly linked to the history of Florence and its main important families, like the House of the Medici and the Savoy Kings of Italy. The 2ndDuke of Florence, Cosimo I de Medici, who moved here to live with his family, commissioned the decorations of the apartments and of the government halls from the greatest Mannierist artists. The palace was also the site of the second government of united Italy when Florence was capital. It is so beautiful that it was one of the scenes for the film Inferno by Dan Brown.