Palazzo dei Visacci, Renaissance palazzo in Borgo degli Albizi, Florence, Italy
Palazzo dei Visacci is a Renaissance palace on Borgo degli Albizi in Florence with a distinctive stone facade. The front features fifteen carved busts of Florentines sculpted in Greek style, with Hermes heads adorning the pilasters.
The palace was built in the 1400s for the Albizi family and has shaped the neighborhood since then. In the late 1500s, Senator Baccio Valori and architect Giovanni Caccini oversaw a major redesign of the building.
The stone busts on the facade honor influential Florentines like Dante, Petrarca, and Boccaccio. These portraits reflect a Renaissance custom of celebrating important figures through architectural sculpture.
The building now houses the headquarters of the Grand Orient of Italy on its noble floor and opens only by appointment. Visitors should arrange visits in advance to tour the interior and see the decorated rooms.
The interior boasts 18th-century stucco work by Giovanni Martino Portogalli that creates ornate spaces throughout the palace. These decorations are paired with frescoes featuring Masonic symbols, connecting the building's interior design to its present-day function.
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