History
A large tower-residence, it was built in medieval times for the Guelph family of the Ruggerini, and was totally demolished after the Guelph were expelled from Florence in 1260. Reconstructed, it was acquired by the Fastelli first, and then, in the late 14th century, to the Gianfigliazzi, who owned it until their extinction in 1760.
The Guelphs and Ghibellines were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in the Italian city-states of central and northern Italy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, rivalry between these two parties formed a particularly important aspect of the internal politics of medieval Italy. The struggle for power between the Papacy and the Holy Roman Empire had arisen with the Investiture Controversy, which began in 1075 and ended with the Concordat of Worms in 1122. The division between the Guelphs and Ghibellines in Italy, fuelled by the imperial Great Interregnum, persisted until the 15th century.
In the early 19th century it was used by the local Nobles' Academy, and housed figures such as Alessandro Manzoni, Louis Bonaparte and Vittorio Alfieri. In 1841 it was extensively renovated, with the addition of merlons inspired by the nearby Palazzo Spini Feroni and the opening of new windows.
Alessandro Francesco Tommaso Antonio Manzoni was an Italian poet and novelist. He is famous for the novel The Betrothed (1827), generally ranked among the masterpieces of world literature. The novel is also a symbol of the Italian Risorgimento, both for its patriotic message and because it was a fundamental milestone in the development of the modern, unified Italian language. Manzoni also sat the basis for the modern Italian language and helped creating linguistic unity throughout Italy. He was an influential proponent of Liberal Catholicism in Italy.
Louis Napoléon Bonaparte was a younger brother of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French. He was a monarch in his own right from 1806 to 1810, ruling over the Kingdom of Holland. In that capacity he was known as Louis I.
Count Vittorio Alfieri was an Italian dramatist and poet, considered the "founder of Italian tragedy."
Montalcino is a hill town and comune in the province of Siena, Tuscany, central Italy. It is known for its Brunello di Montalcino wine.
Pistoia is a city and comune in the Italian region of Tuscany, the capital of a province of the same name, located about 30 kilometres (19 mi) west and north of Florence and is crossed by the Ombrone Pistoiese, a tributary of the River Arno. It is a typical Italian medieval city, and it attracts many tourists, especially in the summer. The city is famous throughout Europe for its plant nurseries.
San Gimignano is a small walled medieval hill town in the province of Siena, Tuscany, north-central Italy. Known as the Town of Fine Towers, San Gimignano is famous for its medieval architecture, unique in the preservation of about a dozen of its tower houses, which, with its hilltop setting and encircling walls, form "an unforgettable skyline". Within the walls, the well-preserved buildings include notable examples of both Romanesque and Gothic architecture, with outstanding examples of secular buildings as well as churches. The Palazzo Comunale, the Collegiate Church and Church of Sant' Agostino contain frescos, including cycles dating from the 14th and 15th centuries. The "Historic Centre of San Gimignano" is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The town also is known for saffron, the Golden Ham, and its white wine, Vernaccia di San Gimignano, produced from the ancient variety of Vernaccia grape which is grown on the sandstone hillsides of the area.
The Battle of Montaperti was fought on 4 September 1260 between Florence and Siena in Tuscany as part of the conflict between the Guelphs and Ghibellines. The Florentines were routed. It was the bloodiest battle fought in Medieval Italy, with more than 10,000 fatalities. An act of treachery during the battle is recorded by Dante Alighieri in the Inferno section of the Divine Comedy.
San Miniato is a town and comune in the province of Pisa, in the region of Tuscany, Italy.
Monteleone d'Orvieto is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Terni in the Italian region Umbria, located about 35 km southwest of Perugia and about 60 km northwest of Terni.
Palazzo Spini Ferroni is a large Gothic palace located along Via de' Tornabuoni at the corner of Piazza Santa Trinita, in central Florence, region of Tuscany, Italy.
It stands across from the church of Santa Trinita.
The Torre del Gallo is a historical building located in Florence, Italy, located at Pian de' Giullari, in the hills of Arcetri, on top of a ridge overlooking the city where there is a magnificent panorama.
Via de' Tornabuoni, or Via Tornabuoni, is a street at the center of Florence, Italy, that goes from Antinori square to ponte Santa Trinita, across Santa Trinita square, characterized by the presence of fashion boutiques.
Piazza del Duomo is located in the heart of the historic center of Florence, .
It is one of the most visited places in Europe and the world and in Florence, the most visited area of the city. The square contains the Florence Cathedral with the Cupola del Brunelleschi, the Giotto's Campanile, the Florence Baptistery, the Loggia del Bigallo, the Opera del Duomo Museum, and the Arcivescovile and Canonici's palace. The west zone of this square is called Piazza San Giovanni.
The Torre dei Della Bella is an old tower of Florence, Italy and is located in Via dei Tavolini.
Poppi Castle is a medieval castle in Poppi, Tuscany, Italy, formerly the property of the noble family of the Conti Guidi.
The Villa di Murlo is a rural palace or villa located in the hills surrounding San Casciano in Val di Pesa, on the old road between Florence and Siena that follows the Pesa River.
The Palazzo di Parte Guelfa is a historical building in Florence, central Italy. During the Middle Ages, it was the headquarters of the Guelph party in the city.
The Torre degli Alberti is a XIII century medieval tower in Florence, Italy. It has a polygonal plan and was the headquarters and residence of the Alberti, one of the most numerous and powerful families in the medieval Florence.
The Torre degli Amidei is a tower in Florence, Italy. Dating from the upper Middle Ages, it is located near the Piazza della Signoria. Once located near the city's ancient walls, it belonged to the Amidei family, and, according to the tradition, was the alleged location of the killing of Buondelmonte de' Buondelmonti by one Amidei.
The Torre dei Pulci is a historical tower in Florence, Italy. The tower was the residence of the Pulci family in medieval and Renaissance times, including poet Luigi Pulci. It was in origin a purely defensive tower, which was enlarged until it became a sort of palazzetto or small residential palace.
The Tower or Torre dei Rossi-Cerchi is a reconstructed medieval tower, now part of a hotel,
located on Via Guicciardini, corner Borgo San Jacopo, in the Oltrarno district near the entrance to the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, region of Tuscany, Italy.
The Palazzo Tolomei is an imposing, Gothic style urban palace, located on Via Banchi di Sopra in the present contrada of Civetta, Terzo di Camollia of the city of Siena, region of Tuscany, Italy.
