Palazzo Guadagni, Renaissance palace in Santo Spirito Square, Florence, Italy.
Palazzo Guadagni is a Renaissance palace on Santo Spirito Square with a stone facade, rectangular windows on the ground floor, and framed openings on the upper levels. Its most distinctive feature is the open rooftop loggia that spans the full width of the building and opens to the sky.
The palace was built in 1505 for silk merchant Riniero Dei and later passed to the Guadagni family through an auction. Between 1912 and 1964 it housed the German Institute of Art History, before transitioning to other cultural functions.
The palace is primarily known today for its rooftop loggia, which has become a symbol of the Oltrarno district over the years. Visitors recognize the building by this open terrace, which defines the neighborhood and reflects its urban character.
The building sits on Piazza Santo Spirito and offers good access to the streets of the Oltrarno neighborhood with its artisan workshops and restaurants. Visitors should note that the area is hilly and the best views from above require climbing stairs or ramps.
The rooftop loggia was the first of its kind in Florence and offered revolutionary new ways to experience the sky and views at that time. Today it still provides vistas across the city center, the Ponte Vecchio, and the surrounding hills.
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