Pazzi Palace

The Pazzi Palace, also known as the Palace of the Conspiracy or Pazzi-Quaratesi Palace, is one of the most fascinating and historically rich Renaissance buildings in Florence. Located on Via del Proconsolo, at the corner with Borgo degli Albizi, the palace was commissioned by Jacopo de’ Pazzi and built between 1458 and 1469. The architectural project was entrusted to Giuliano da Maiano, although in the past it has also been attributed to Michelozzo di Bartolomeo or Filippo Brunelleschi. The Pazzi family was one of the wealthiest and most influential in Florence, with significant interests in banking and commerce. However, their history is indelibly marked by the famous Pazzi Conspiracy of 1478, a failed assassination attempt aimed at overthrowing the Medici, the dominant family in the city. This dramatic event took place on April 26, 1478, during Mass in the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, and led to the killing of Giuliano de’ Medici while his brother Lorenzo, known as Lorenzo the Magnificent, managed to escape. The conspiracy, also supported by Pope Sixtus IV and other powerful allies, ended with the execution of the conspirators and the confiscation of the Pazzi’s assets, including their palace, which passed to various families in the following centuries, including the Cybo and the Strozzi. The architecture of the palace reflects the Renaissance taste and style with an imposing rusticated stone facade on the ground floor, rising to two noble floors characterized by elegant windows with lowered arches. The lunettes above the windows are decorated with flowers and sails billowing in the wind, symbolizing the maritime activities of the Pazzi family. One of the most distinctive elements is the inner courtyard, with Corinthian columns topped by capitals decorated with two golden dolphins around a flaming cup, the heraldic symbol of the Pazzi. An interesting anecdote concerns the symbol of the flaming cup, which is said to have been added to the family crest in honor of Pazzino de’ Pazzi, an ancestor who participated in the First Crusade and was among the first to scale the walls of Jerusalem. In recognition, Pazzino received three stones from the Holy Sepulchre, which are still used today during the ceremony of the Explosion of the Cart in Florence, a traditional event that takes place every Easter. After being confiscated by the Medici, the palace passed through various hands, becoming the seat of legal and diplomatic institutions. During the brief period when Florence was the capital of Italy (1865-1871), it housed the Prussian embassy. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was purchased by the Bank of Florence, which commissioned architects Ezio Cerpi and Adolfo Coppedè to restore and decorate the courtyard with stained glass and ceramics, bringing a touch of modernism to the building.