Belvedere, Military fortress in Florence, Italy
The stone fortress incorporates both Renaissance and military architectural elements, with angled walls allowing defensive crossfire from multiple positions at 365 meters elevation.
Grand Duke Ferdinando I de Medici commissioned architect Bernardo Buontalenti to construct this strategic fortification between 1590 and 1595 to protect Florence.
The fortress contains the Palazzina di Belvedere, which stored Medici treasures in a room protected by mechanical traps and flooding mechanisms.
Located at Via San Leonardo 1, the fortress opens Tuesday through Sunday from June to September, offering guided tours of the military architecture.
Galileo Galilei conducted astronomical observations from this fortress before moving to nearby Villa Arcetri following his 1633 life imprisonment sentence.
Location: Florence
Inception: 1590
Architects: Bernardo Buontalenti
Official opening: 1595
Accessibility: Wheelchair limited access
Address: Via San Leonardo
Phone: +390552625962
Website: http://museicivicifiorentini.comune.fi.it/fortebelvedere
GPS coordinates: 43.76305,11.25374
Latest update: May 27, 2025 06:58
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