Palazzo Vecchio (Old Palace) is located in one of the most beautiful squares in Italy, Piazza della Signoria. Italy, Piazza della Signoria. The construction of the Palace began in 1294, designed by Arnolfo di Cambio as a fortress for the defence of the residence of the priors. square building with a crenellated finial. The palace is even more solid is given by the high tower (94 metres), which has risen above the gallery since 1310. From the outside the building is faced with hard stone rustication. The three-storey facade is decorated with paired windows inscribed in semicircular arches, which gives the whole building an impression of restrained austerity. of restrained austerity. Between 1343 and 1592, the original design by Arnolfo di Cambio (both inside and outside the building) was added to the building. di Cambio's original design (both inside and outside) was modified and amended. additions. Masters such as Cronaca, Vasari and Buontalenti took part in these works. and Buontalenti. On the façade, under the arches of the gallery, one can see frescoes with the nine coats of arms of the city's communes. The clock has a mechanism that dates back to 1667. On both sides of the entrance to the palace there are marble sculptures for the hanging chains.
In front of Palazzo Vecchio are a number of sculptures, among them the famous copy of the David by Michelangelo, which replaced the original in 1873. Above the façade above the above the façade above the entrance is a medallion with the monogram of Christ flanked by figures of lions on a bright blue tympanum background. on a bright blue tympanum and surmounted by a triangular cornice. The inscription in Latin "Rex regum et Dominus dominantium, which means "The King rules and God rules", was placed here in 1551 by order of Cosimo I.
The Salon of the Five Hundred of the Palazzo Vecchio, intended for the meetings of the of the Great People's Council after the Medici's second expulsion from Florence, was designed by the architect Cronaca. was designed by the architect Cronaca. The work of decorating the hall was supervised by Vasari. Allegorical paintings on the ceiling and walls tell the story of the triumphal return of the Grand Duke Cosimo I to Florence, the History of the conquests of Pisa and Siena. Siena. Among the marble statues, a sculptural group by Michelangelo is noteworthy "Genius trampling brute force."
Among the Supreme Apartments, besides those of Eleanor of Toledo and the Audience Hall, the Hall of Lilies should be singled out. It owes its name to the decoration depicting a golden lily on a blue background. On the walls are frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandaio. The Hall of Lilies displays the famous Judith, Donatello's masterpiece. It used to stand in Piazza della Signoria.
