“La prossima fermata; Piazza Frescobaldi”, I
always heard this announcement for the next bus stop when I travelled from the
Dutch University Institute for Art History to the Santa Maria Novella train
station in Florence, not knowing the Frescobaldi family would be the topic of
my research internship some time later. This summer, I spent three months in
the beautiful city of Florence to research the Frescobaldi family as part of
the Patrician Patronage Project. This
internship not only gave me the opportunity to gain insight into the history of
the Frescobaldi family, but it also provided me with a deeper knowledge of the
history of Florence in general, especially about the area that belonged to the
Frescobaldi for centuries, the Santo Spirito quartiere.
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| The Frescobaldi coat-of-arms |
The origins of the Frescobaldi have been traced
back as far as the end of the first millennium. It was a family of well-known
merchants and bankers. Furthermore, they were (and still are) prominent
winemakers. From the thirteenth century onwards, they owned a couple of houses
in the Santo Spirito quartiere. In
1282 Lamberto Frescobaldi invested in the building of the Santa Trinità bridge
in order to connect their family estate with the city center. Due to their
strategic location along the Arno River, one of the main import routes of the
city, the Frescobaldi practised control and influence over the city’s economy
from the second half of the thirteenth century.
A high concentration of households was a way to
mark their geographic identity in the city. Especially the towers and loggias
showed their public status. Palazzo della Missione, near the Santa Trinità
bridge, was originally the main palazzo of the Frescobaldi, with in front of it
its recognizable tower and loggia. This tower still exists, whereas the loggia
was walled up in 1593.
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| Facade of the casone |
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| Gate of the Palazzo Frescobaldi |
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| Facade of Palazzo Frescobaldi |
In
the seventeenth century, the Frescobaldi began to restore all their family’s
architectural possessions, in order to show respect to their ancestors, they
kept the original structures intact as much as possible. Bartolommeo Baccio Frescobaldi restored one of their casoni in Piazza Frescobaldi. Today, all that remains of the palazzo of that
period, after decades of destruction from in-faction fighting, is only one
side, bearing the family coat-of-arms. From 1621, Matteo Frescobaldi started to
rebuild the houses on Via Santo Spirito and reconstructed them into a solemn
palazzo. These days, the facade of the centuries-old palazzo still has the same
structures and austere characteristics as in the time of Matteo’s restoration,
whereas most of the inside has eventually been transformed for commercial use
(ateliers and galleries). The sober appearance of the facade does not give away
the hidden treasures that can be found behind these walls.
Luckily,
I managed to take a glance behind these massive walls. On the open day of
famous gardens in Florence, I got the chance to visit the garden of the
Frescobaldi palazzo. When I walked through the gate, I wound up in an
impressive ancient old courtyard, which lead to the unexpected grand and beautiful
garden, adorned with a colourful collection of azaleas. On top of that, at the
end of the garden, the imposing Santo Spirito church doomed up. Stoldo
Frescobaldi was superintendent of this basilica. In order to build the church
(1481), the Frescobaldi had to sacrifice a part of their properties. In the
end, the Frescobaldi acquired the rights of the apse and three chapels. They
also were able to participate in services without leaving the house, by means
of a window looking in the church (coretto). It was an incredible experience to see
all this in real-life and to be able to imagine myself in an old and honoured Florentine
palazzo of ancient times.
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| Courtyard of Palazzo Frescobaldi |
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| Garden of Palazzo Frescobaldi |
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| Garden Palazzo Frescobaldi with in the background the Santo Spirito church |
Now, when I walk through the streets belonging
to the Santo Spirito quartiere, or
when I take the bus and drive along the Piazza Frescobaldi, I am aware of the
incredible and imposing history of these centuries-old buildings. Due to this
research internship, one thing I thought was impossible became possible, and
that is the fact that I love the beautiful city of Florence and its ancient
history even more than I already did before.
Photos: author
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