Private tour of Palazzo Vecchio in Florence
“Palazzo Vecchio alchemical & Signoria Sq”
A visit inside Palazzo Vecchio to rediscover the alchemical symbolism of the paintings in the apartments of Cosimo I de’ Medici and Eleonora di Toledo. At the beginning of the 16th century Cosimo I just elected Duke of Florence, restructured the ancient Palazzo dei Priori, chosen for strategic reasons as his main residence. Giorgio Vasari will be the perfect interpreter of the hermetic thought of the Duke who had placed his alchemical laboratory right inside the palace. Vasari, at the head of a team of young collaborators, decorated the private rooms of the Duke and his wife Eleonora with a series of frescoes with secret symbols, which will have their apotheosis in the so-called Sala dell’Udienza, on whose walls, in the form of emblematic figures, the allegories of the Alchemical Work unfold.
Half-day tour, subject to the opening hours of Palazzo Vecchio; normally closed on Thursday afternoons.
The visit also takes in the Sala dell’Udienza and the private apartments of Eleonora di Toledo, rooms rarely explored in depth by standard guided tours, together with views over Piazza della Signoria from the palace’s inner courtyards. Your guide is an art historian specialised in Medici-era Florence, so this is as much a story of power and family as it is an art visit. Comfortable shoes are recommended, as some rooms have no lift access. This tour pairs well with a same-day visit to the nearby Uffizi Gallery.