FIRENZE: PALAZZO DAVANZATI

Façade of the palace.

Palazzo Davanzati is a palace in Florence. It houses the Museum of the Old Florentine House.

Palazzo Davanzati was erected in the second half of the 14th century by the Davizzi family, who were wealthy members of the wool guild. In 1516 it was sold to the Bartolini and, later that century, to the Davanzati family, also rich merchants (1578), who held it until 1838. After the suicide of Carlo Davanzati, it was split into different quarters and modified. After escaping the numerous demolitions of 19th century Florence, it was bought by Elia Volpi, an antiquarian, who restored in (his impression of) the original style.

In 1910, Volpi opened the building as a private museum (Museo Privato della Casa Fiorentina Antica). The contents of this museum kept changing as Volpi sold the furniture at auctions, including in a major sale of 1916 in New York. In the 1920s, Egyptian antique dealers Vitale and Leopoldo Bengujat acquired the building and its contents. In 1951 it was purchased by the Italian state and kept open as a museum. In 1995 it was closed for major restoration to consolidate the building that was falling down. The museum was partially reopened in 2005; the ground and first floors can now be visited.

The palace consists of a facade that unifies a grouping of earlier, medieval tower homes that the owner purchased with the intent to put them together.

It is constructed in sandstone, with three large portals on the horizontal axis, and three stories of mullioned windows. The topmost floor has a loggia supported by four columns and two pilasters that was added in the 16th century. The façade displays the Davanzati coats of arms and has traces of other decorations.

The interior courtyard has arches, vaults, and capitals in 14th century-style.

Florence, June 24: Florence celebrates the feast of its patron, San Giovanni.

THE HISTORY: FROM GOD MARTE TO SAN GOVANNI BATTISTA The choice of San Giovanni Battista as the Saint Patron of the city of Florence, comes only after the total transformation of the city to Christianity. Initially, the Patron (or Protector) of the city was the God Marte whose statue was located at the north entrance of Ponte Vecchio and remained there until 1333, when it was completely destroyed by the Arnio flooding.

Feast of the Patron of Florence: old cartIt was however in the Longobard period (6th to 7th century), that San Giovanni Battista was recognize as the Saint Patron of Florence. San Giovanni Battista was already chosen as the Saint Patron of the Longobard people. In fact, it is in this period that the San Giovanni Baptistery was reconstructed in Florence (6th-7th century) over the rubbles of what it once was the Marte Temple.

The selection of San Giovanni wasn't only first and foremost for his clear and brief pedagogy, but also for his strong and courageous personality. However, it was until June 24th in the 13th century that the first celebration dedicated to San Giovanni Battista took place.

Thanks to these celebrations the San Giovanni Baptistery and the Duomo Square became the city heart of the Religious and Political life of Florence. In fact,it is in front of the Baptistery that the festivities of June 24 end. History narrates that an ancient tradition asked to the Noble people of Florence to donate their big candles richly ornamented which had then to be burned in front of the Baptistery. Originally, the festivisty ended with a large candle that was transported in a wagon from Piazza Signoria to the front of the Baptistery. That same wagon named Carro di San Giovanni (San Giovanni's Wagon) gave birth to the Scoppio del Carro festivity (Wagon's Outburst); however, at a second stage, this festivity was devoted only to Easter ceremonies instead to the Patron.

Florence, June 24, 2010: Fireworks for Saint John

June 24th, it's a day where several festivities take palce in Florence throughout the day such as parades, the Rowing Club competition along the Arno river, fireworks, etc.

The final game of the Calcio in Costume (football soccer in costumes) was played on this same day. The famous Historic Florentine Football, was a peppy Medieval version of football, usually played in Santa Croce square. In 2006, the event was cancelled because an article of a document from the fifth council commission of sport and culture prohibits sporting events that cause violent celebrations by its fans. “The unjustify events that took place on the opening match of the 2006 edition, forced the Municipality of Florence to take action on this important sporting event.”

Along with the Historic Florentine Football, another sporting event is celebarted on this day. The Notturna di San Giovanni (night run marathon), it's one of the oldest marathons in Italian history.

Firework show in Florence for the feast of the PatronIn order to salute the Saint Patron, at around 9:00pm, you can admire a firework show in Florence. The best spot to see them it's in Ponte Santa Trinita (Santa Trinita Bridge). From there you can see Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge), and behind it the beautiful fireworks reflecting in the Arno river. The bridge and its surrounding streets gets jammed of people, so it is recommended that Florentine people having houses with view towards Piazzale Michelangelo open their doors to their friends and relatives, so you can enjoy the show in company of your loved ones.

Again, during the same weekend it is usually organized another funny event, concerning just one side of the city: Nottarno, la notte bianca in Oltrarno (Nottarno, the White Night in the Oltrarno zone). This year, the event is expected for Saturday 27 of June 2009. Various and different events will be organized and dislocated along the streets and squares of the city district, and have been already inserted in the program of the night (download the pdf of the program): music, exhibitions and various kinds of entertainment. On the occasion, shops, pubs and restaurants of the Oltrarno district stay open all night long and arrange tables on the streets of the centre.

Battistero di San Giovanni - Baptistery of St. John

The Florence Baptistery or Battistero di San Giovanni is a religious building in Florence (Tuscany), Italy, which has the status of a minor basilica.
The octagonal Baptistery stands in both the Piazza del Duomo and the Piazza di San Giovanni, across from the Duomo cathedral and the Giotto bell tower. It is one of the oldest buildings in the city, built between 1059 and 1128. The architecture is in Florentine Romanesque style.
The Baptistery is renowned for its three sets of artistically important bronze doors with relief sculptures. The south doors were done by Andrea Pisano and the north and east doors by Lorenzo Ghiberti. The east pair of doors was dubbed by Michelangelo "the Gates of Paradise".
The Italian poet Dante Alighieri and many other notable Renaissance figures, including members of the Medici family, were baptized in this baptistery. In fact, until the end of the nineteenth century, all Catholic Florentines were baptized here.
The Baptistery has eight equal sides with a rectangular addition on the west side.
The sides, originally in sandstone, are clad in geometrically patterned colored marble, white Carrara marble with green Prato marble inlay, reworked in Romanesque style between 1059 and 1128. The pilasters on each corner, originally in grey stone, were decorated with white and dark green marble in a zebra-like pattern by Arnolfo di Cambio in 1293.
The style of this church would serve as prototype, influencing many architects, such as Leone Battista Alberti, in their design of Romanesque churches in Tuscany.
The exterior is also ornamented with a number of artistically significant statues by Andrea Sansovino (above the Gates of Paradise), Giovan Francesco Rustici, Vincenzo Danti (above the south doors) and others.
The design work on the sides is arranged in groupings of three, starting with three distinct horizontal sections. The middle section features three blind arches on each side, each arch containing a window. These have alternate pointed and semicircular tympani. Below each window is a stylized arch design. In the upper fascia, there are also three small windows, each one in the center block of a three-panel design.
The apse was originally semicircular, but was it was made rectangular in 1202.
The vast interior of the Baptistery recalls the interior of the Pantheon in Rome. The interior is rather dark, light entering through small windows in the ambulatory and through the lantern. The interior is divided in a lower part with columns and pilasters and an upper part with an ambulatory. The Florentines didn't spare any trouble or expense to decorate the baptistery. The interior walls are clad in dark green and white marble with inlaid geometrical patterns. The niches are separated by monolithic columns of Sardinian granite. The marble revetment of the interior was begun in the second half of the eleventh century.
The rectangular apse was faced with mosaics in 1225.