Insider's Guide to the Palazzo Guadagni of Florence, Italy

Located near the Santo Spirito and its related square, this palace was built in 1502. A merchant, Ranieri di Baldassarre Dei decided that it was a good idea to replace some of his family's existing buildings with one that would be grander and more imposing and thus more worthy of the family presence in Florence. This decision created a beautiful piece of Renaissance architecture.

The palace itself was based on other projects, possibly by Baccio d'Agnolo or Cronaca, and originally featured a facade with the family coat of arms. Today, however, this has been seriously damaged and is now located inside the palace to help preserve it. It also featured a type of typically Florentine decoration popular at the time called sgraffito, using white scratches on black plaster to create a brightly contrasting design.

This decoration was one of Andrea al Sarto's early works, but unfortunately, it can no longer be seen. In 1870, it was significantly altered, and an attempt in 1973 to restore the work caused it to be completely destroyed, so that it is no longer available. This is an extremely disappointing development, as the decoration on the outside of the palazzo is now known only from photographs and descriptions.

The palace got its present name when it was purchased in 1683 by the Marquis Guadagni. The name of Palazzo Guadagni persisted, even after the family no longer owned this palace and it was purchased by the Dufour Berte family. By the time of their nineteenth century purchase, it was already well known by the name of the previous owning family, and the new buyers chose to retain that instead of changing it.

Between 1912 and 1964, the German Institute for Art History in Florence was located on the Palazzo Guadagni's first floor, while the ground floor was home to the city's first municiple library. Inaugurated in 1914, this library still exists and has over twenty thousand books in its holdings. It is dedicated to Pietro Thouar, a nineteenth century Florentine scholar and teacher.

The ground floor is notable for its rustic stone facade, and the entire facade features a stone bank. The southern corner of the palace is also of interest. It features a wrought iron lantern very similar to the one made for the facade of the Palazzo Strozzi by Caparra, possibly giving a clue to the architect of this interesting structure.

The loggia, or corridor/gallery supported by columns and open to the air, on the first floor of the Palazzo Guadagni is still present. It was the first palace in the area to have this very popular Renaissance Italian feature, which was soon copied by the other palazzos around the piazza de Santo Spirito. This has long been considered an excellent place to live.

That's one reason why you should look for Florence apartments in the region around the Santo Spirito. This is an interesting neighborhood with a lot going on, and that makes it a wonderful choice for any visit to Florence on holiday. Take the time to explore the area and see what you might have missed. Find your perfect Santo Spirito apartment today.