Next to Dante’s alleged house in the homonymous street, a place with a great story behind him in the square of S.Martino. It is a place founded by a famous painter of the time, Mariotto Albertinelli. Born in Florence on October 13, 1474 from Biagio by Bindo Albertinelli, he began his career before in the shop of the goldsmith’s father and subsequently in that of Cosimo Rosselli. Already from the beginning of his “career” as a painter he company with another pupil of Bottega or Baccio del Porta, Vasari himself writes “They were a soul and a body”.
But Mariotto compared to Baccio was dedicated to an adventurous life and without many compromises, an all -art type, enjoyments and brawls. The opposite ideas on the preacher of S. Marco also caused between the two a breakage of personal relationships, Albertinelli was part of the “angry” (Florentine faction against the political-religious regime of Savonarola) already inspired by the “balls” (faction watter of the doctors), while Baccio inspired by the sermons of Savonarola was part of the “whining” (derogatory designation against the followers of Savonarola). The split between the two happened when Baccio took the votes thus becoming a Dominican friar, hence the name perhaps best known in his artistic career or between Bartolomeo (his real name was Bartolomeo di Paolo).
But let’s go back to our Mariotto who After producing a series of great pictorial works (among other things we remember the visit to the Uffizi) would seem to put our heads in place, marrying with Antonia d’Ugolino d’Amore (daughter of a vinaio) and getting closer to her old friend between Bartolomeo . It would seem that everything goes in the right direction, but towards 1513 Mariotto perhaps because of a crisis of no confidence in his own art, leaves the friar painter forever, and begins a phase dedicated to food, so much so that he puts two taverns, one near the bridge Old while the other in Porta S. Gallo.
However not having much clientele, he was forced to move to the S. Martino square in a fund of an ex-woolcare (the one who cuts the hair to the role or wool fabrics, and remember that nearby there is the square of the Hespoons and the street of the same name nearby). In 1886 Giuseppe Aioli opened a restaurant on the ancient Osteria dell’Albertinelli, and to remember the famous painter I call him “The brush, around 1911, also given the restoration of Dante’s house, had a fourteenth -century lodge built and there Terracotta medallion with the artist’s portrait.
if you like this story you can come with us to discover several different stories , and curiosity about this beautiful City. We are running our Florence Free Tour from Santa Maria Novella, our meeting point is in front of Minerva Hotel. please book your spot before the tour start.
