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Piazze (squares)
| images | name | tourist information |
| Piazze | A piazza is an open space in a city, which often marked the location of an important building, and provided an essential meeting space for the city or area's residents. Still today, piazze (the plural of the word) are the meeting places of young and old as well as the loci of festivals. | |
| Piazza del Duomo The religious heart of the city, carefully separated from the civic centre (see below). If you can see past the sea of tourists (May through November), check out the layout of this space. It is home to the Duomo itself (the cathedral of Florence), with the cuppola by Brunelleschi. To the right of the facade is the bell tower designed by Giotto, with hexagonal sculpture reliefs by Andrea Pisano (copies). In a direct line with the doors of the cathedral is the octagonal Baptistry, in the 11th century Romanesque style. At the back this building is the bishop's palace (not vistable), much altered in the 19th century. |
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Piazza della Signoria/ Palazzo Vecchio DOWNLOAD THE FREE PODCAST on piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio. |
The piazza is, of course, always open. The interior of the Palazzo Vecchio, with paintings by Vasari and others, is visitable (entry fee). Other sections of the building are used for governmental offices. |
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piazza della repubblica This piazza used to be the heart of the city. It was the Roman forum, the very center of the city. In the middle ages the main market was here. Everyone came here, although women of good families either were carried in a closed litter or sent maids. the market was also a locus of communication of news in a period before printed newspapers – “criers” and heralds called out death sentences and news of wars and other things, as well as “classified ads” of help wanted. |
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piazza della liberta' Now just a widening in the viali (ring roads), this 19th century piazza also houses one of the original doors to the city (seen in photo). On the opposite side is a 19th c triumphal arch. The viali, the "ring road" around the historical centre, were created by the architect Poggi in the late 19th century in his project of city modernization. These wide roads were obtained by knocking down the walls that until that time encircled the city. The viali are now very noisy and polluted streets, but without them it would be really impossible to drive in Florence. |
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