Florence - Piazza della Signoria

Palazzo Vecchio

Palazzo Vecchio

It was a nice day strolling around the Piazza della Signoria.  According to Wikipedia, Piazza della Signoria was created in 13th century, the piazza is an L-shaped square in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, it was named after the Palazzo della Signoria.  Palazzo Vecchio ("the old palace") is the town hall of the city.

Palazzo Vecchio (left) and Loggia dei Lanzi (right)

Loggia dei Lanzi
The original purpose of the loggia was to shield dignitaries from the elements during ceremonies, public meetings and events.  Today it is an outdoor gallery with a collection of impressive Renaissance and Roman sculptures.

The statue of David
The square is almost like an open air sculpture museum with plenty of statues that remind visitors of Florence's glorious past.  Michelangelo's masterpieces of Renaissance sculpture, the statue of David (left), was created in 1504 for the city of Florence and placed in front of the Palazzo Vecchio.  But in 1873, the original David was replaced by a replica, now the original David is located in Galleria dell' Accademia - as mentioned in my previous post.

inside the Palazzo Vecchio

Reference