Palace of the Posters

The Palazzo dei Cartelloni, also known as Palazzo Viviani, is a fascinating Baroque building located in via Sant’Antonino in Florence. Built in the 17th century, this palace is a tribute to the memory of the famous scientist Galileo Galilei and represents an important testimony of Florence’s scientific and cultural history. The palace was purchased in 1670 by Vincenzo Viviani, a mathematician and astronomer who had been a student and assistant of Galileo Galilei until the master’s death in 1642. Viviani transformed the palace into a monument to honor Galileo, commissioning the architect Giovanni Battista Nelli to renovate the facade. This was adorned with large Latin epigraphs, the “cartelloni,” which narrate Galileo’s discoveries and scientific contributions. These cartelloni, engraved on stones on the sides of the main entrance, make the palace unique and visually imposing, celebrating the great scientist in an era when his contributions were not universally recognized due to his controversies with the Catholic Church. The facade of the Palazzo dei Cartelloni, in addition to the epigraphs, features a bust of Galileo, a work by Giovanni Battista Foggini, located above the main door. This bust, along with the inscriptions, constitutes one of the first publicly visible monuments dedicated to Galileo in Florence. The Baroque facade is characterized by decorative elements that emphasize the monumentality and solemnity of the building, perfectly integrating architecture with the tribute to science. The interior of the palace has undergone several renovations over the centuries. The rooms are decorated with 19th-century frescoes depicting romantic and grotesque scenes, adding a touch of elegance and sophistication to the spaces. The palace also boasts a small garden, recently restored, which offers an oasis of tranquility in the heart of the city, with hedges, trees, and fountains contributing to creating a suggestive and relaxing environment. After Viviani’s death in 1703, the palace passed through several hands. It was inherited by his nephew, Abbot Paolo Panzanini, and later belonged to the Sermolli and Loria families. In the 20th century, the palace was purchased by the Studio Art Centers International (SACI), an American educational institution. Today, the palace houses exhibition galleries, classrooms, a library, and art conservation laboratories, continuing to be a center of culture and education. Another point of interest of the Palazzo dei Cartelloni is the “buchette del vino,” small openings in the walls historically used to sell wine directly from the palace’s cellars without having to pay licensing taxes. These buchette are common in Florence and represent a curious enological tradition of the city, a testament to Florentine ingenuity in adapting to the fiscal regulations of the time. The history of the Palazzo dei Cartelloni is rich in interesting anecdotes. For example, Viviani dedicated much of his life and resources to create a monument to Galileo, despite the difficulties encountered in promoting the figure of a scientist considered heretical by the Church. This commitment is reflected in the grandeur of the palace and in the attention to detail in the decorations.