Loggia del Pesce, Mannerist loggia in Piazza Ciompi, Florence, Italy
The Loggia del Pesce is a Renaissance structure featuring nine wide arcades supported by columns, each decorated with medallions depicting fishing scenes. Today it stands in Piazza Ciompi and maintains its original 16th-century architectural form.
In 1569, Duke Cosimo I de' Medici commissioned Giorgio Vasari to design this structure as a replacement for the fish market near Ponte Vecchio. It was later fully reconstructed in 1956 at its current location in Piazza Ciompi.
The medallions decorating the structure show scenes of fishing and trade, reflecting the importance of the fish market in Renaissance Florence's daily commerce. They remind visitors how central this market was to feeding the city.
The loggia stands freely in the square and can be viewed from all sides, offering good sight lines of its arcades and medallions. Its location in Piazza Ciompi makes it easily accessible for a casual visit.
The original decorations were removed during renovations between 1885 and 1895 and transferred to the San Marco museum. This separation of ornaments from their original structure is an often-overlooked part of the building's story.
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