Walking in the busy via Guicciardini main artery of the Oltrarno towards the city center, we can only focus on n.18 to think for a moment about the alleged residence of the great multipurpose character of the great political scene of the Italian Renaissance: Niccolò Machiavelli. What we currently see is a questionable building built after the war after the destruction of almost all buildings around the Vecchio Ponte, mined by the Germans during the retreat in ’44.
To remember the figure of the famous Florentine citizen, a plaque was placed in 1969 on the facade in which his home is documented. “To Niccolò Machiavelli of the bold and guideline national unity and of their own and non -advertising first instructor and teacher, Italy one and armed placed on May 3, 1969 – House where Niccolò Machiavelli lived and died there on June 22, 1527 of years 58 months and days 19 “. Entering the opening of via Guiccardini we pass into a corridor that enters a small internal courtyard, unfortunately the total destruction of the war has not returned those structures necessary to recreate the original environments of the time.
After the war, some beams of the house or what they could be part of it were placed in the corridor with a plaque in memory of Machiavelli’s home. In the corridor there is another plaque placed by the Countess Sofia Bossi Pucci Serristori promoting the restorations of the property, interesting is a ( century XVII-XVIII ) small tabernacle with poly-chrome stucco image of the Madonna and Child and S.Giovannino. Now a nice artistic ceramics shop frames the home of the great Niccolò Machiavelli.
If you like this story you are welcome to participate to one of our free walking tour of Florence. We are running our Florence free tour from Santa Maria Novella square, our meeting point is in front of Minerva Hotel. Please book your tour before you will show up.
