Palazzo Vecchio de’ Medici, Gothic palace in Pisa, Italy
Palazzo Vecchio de' Medici is a Gothic building in Pisa featuring verrucana stone on the ground floor with distinctive double and triple-arched windows on the upper stories. The facade displays the vertical lines and detailed window frames typical of Gothic architecture from this period.
The palazzo was originally owned by the Appiani family from 1392 before the Medici acquired it in 1446, marking a significant shift in the building's ownership and role. Over the following centuries it housed notable visitors including Lorenzo de' Medici and King Carlo VIII.
The building underwent restoration in 1871 by Ranieri Simonelli, transforming its architectural elements to align with Gothic design principles.
The building sits at Piazza Giuseppe Mazzini on the Lungarno Mediceo waterfront in central Pisa and currently serves as the Prefecture headquarters. As an active government building, visits may be restricted or require advance arrangement with local authorities.
The building preserves remnants of structures from the 11th century, making it one of the oldest continuously occupied administrative centers in Tuscany. This layering of different periods is partially visible on the exterior if you look closely at how the stonework changes.
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