The
descendants of the noble family of Count Capponi can pride themselves
on living in the oldest palace of the family. The building is known by
the name “delle Rovinate” in that the hill rising above it,
Poggio dei Magnoli, was affected on a number of occasions by landslides
and the houses on it destroyed or “ruined”, until Cosimo I
finally put a stop to any rebuilding work after yet another landslide
in 1547. The main section of the palace was built at the beginning of
the 15th century by Niccolò da Uzzano; the presence of his portrait
on a fresco in the entrance hall together with the Da Uzzano family crest
on the facade are a clear indication of his prominence in the Republic.
The architect of the building is unknown, though Vasari claimed it was
Lorenzo di Bicci. Given its date of origin, this imposing palace is very
important in the history of private buildings in Firenze, because a number
of its characteristic features, for instance the ashlar facade, reappeared
in other palaces built in a later period. The distinctive internal quadrangular
courtyard surrounded by porticoes was also a forerunner of similar palace
courtyards build in the Renaissance. On the first floor it is still possible
to admire the linear elegance of the original style, while the other floors
have been heavily modified over the centuries.
The palace was adapted in the 17th century and a small chapel was constructed
and decorated with fine works of art. During the second half of the 19th
century, the construction of the new Lungarno Torrigiani induced Count
Capponi to modify the back section of the palace facing the Arno. The
commission to redo the facade was awarded to the architect Poggi, who
carried out the work and added two open side terraces at the first-floor
level. The majority of the floor housing the quarters of the noble family
was then transformed and furnished according to the taste of the period.
Picture by Sandro Santioli
Translated by Jeremy Carden
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