Description
The Fortezza da Basso is a large 16th-century fortress in Florence, pentagonal in plan, set among the ring-road avenues. Today it houses Firenze Fiera, with trade fairs, concerts and conferences, but the bastions and the keep are still those of the 1500s.
It was built not to defend Florence from its enemies, but to defend the Medici from the Florentines. Duke Alessandro de' Medici wanted it in 1534, after the long siege, and called it Castello Alessandria. Work went extremely fast, and its sheer bulk was meant to intimidate the city as well.
It was designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger and Pier Francesco da Viterbo. It was meant to house many soldiers and offer the rulers a refuge in case of revolt. It was no use to the duke: in January 1537 his cousin Lorenzino killed him, having lured him to his home with the promise of a night of love.
The plan is an irregular pentagon, chosen to tie the fortress into the existing 14th-century walls.
The highlight is the keep, in the middle of the side facing the city, to impress it. It is built of pietra forte and incorporates the old Porta a Faenza. The walls are carved with balls, as in the Medici coat of arms, and with diamond points, a motif never used again on this scale in a military building.
Inside the keep is the octagonal hall, with an extraordinary herringbone brick vault: it was part of the fortress's monumental entrance. The curtain walls and bastions, by contrast, are plain brick, cheaper and better at absorbing cannon fire.
All around you can still follow the course of the Mugnone, the stream that flowed in the moats, and the 14th-century Porta a Faenza, brought back to light by restoration. You can also see the powder magazine and other structures of interest.
In the Lorraine period an officers' lodge and a small theater were added. The fortress, like many of its kind, was never used in battle: it remained military property until 1967, then became an exhibition venue, with two modern pavilions beside the bastions.
The restoration workshops of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure also work inside, caring for paintings, paper, textiles and wooden sculptures. The very building that was meant to bend the Florentines now looks after their works of art.
Don't miss
• The keep.
• The octagonal hall.
• The Porta a Faenza.
• The brick bastions.
Did you know?
• In 1775 the Marquis de Sade visited it and recommended seeing the arsenal and the cannon foundry.
• Its official name is Fortezza di San Giovanni Battista, but it was born as Castello Alessandria.
It was built not to defend Florence from its enemies, but to defend the Medici from the Florentines. Duke Alessandro de' Medici wanted it in 1534, after the long siege, and called it Castello Alessandria. Work went extremely fast, and its sheer bulk was meant to intimidate the city as well.
It was designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger and Pier Francesco da Viterbo. It was meant to house many soldiers and offer the rulers a refuge in case of revolt. It was no use to the duke: in January 1537 his cousin Lorenzino killed him, having lured him to his home with the promise of a night of love.
The plan is an irregular pentagon, chosen to tie the fortress into the existing 14th-century walls.
The highlight is the keep, in the middle of the side facing the city, to impress it. It is built of pietra forte and incorporates the old Porta a Faenza. The walls are carved with balls, as in the Medici coat of arms, and with diamond points, a motif never used again on this scale in a military building.
Inside the keep is the octagonal hall, with an extraordinary herringbone brick vault: it was part of the fortress's monumental entrance. The curtain walls and bastions, by contrast, are plain brick, cheaper and better at absorbing cannon fire.
All around you can still follow the course of the Mugnone, the stream that flowed in the moats, and the 14th-century Porta a Faenza, brought back to light by restoration. You can also see the powder magazine and other structures of interest.
In the Lorraine period an officers' lodge and a small theater were added. The fortress, like many of its kind, was never used in battle: it remained military property until 1967, then became an exhibition venue, with two modern pavilions beside the bastions.
The restoration workshops of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure also work inside, caring for paintings, paper, textiles and wooden sculptures. The very building that was meant to bend the Florentines now looks after their works of art.
Don't miss
• The keep.
• The octagonal hall.
• The Porta a Faenza.
• The brick bastions.
Did you know?
• In 1775 the Marquis de Sade visited it and recommended seeing the arsenal and the cannon foundry.
• Its official name is Fortezza di San Giovanni Battista, but it was born as Castello Alessandria.