Palazzo Spinelli, Renaissance palazzo in central Florence, Italy

Palazzo Spinelli, at Borgo Santa Croce 10, was built between 1460 and 1470 for Tommaso Spinelli, treasurer of Pope Paul II. Its facade is covered with later graffiti: small bricks on the ground floor and monochrome floral designs above, attributed to Bernardo Rossellino's workshop. The unusually large portal has a shallow rusticated frame, and the central courtyard preserves a 15th-century loggia with Corinthian-inspired capitals, a well, and graffiti scenes of Hercules and the Nemean Lion and Apollo and Daphne.

Tommaso Spinelli, treasurer of Pope Paul II, commissioned the palazzo between 1460 and 1470 on pre-existing houses. The design is attributed to Bernardo Rossellino, though the name of Cronaca has also been proposed. It stayed with the Spinelli until the late 19th century, passed by inheritance to the Rasponi of Ravenna, and from 1934 to the Malenchini marquises, who had Lando Bartoli restore it.

The name Spinelli recurs in the facade graffiti: a band of wild roses at the first floor alludes to the family's thorny emblem, and a partly chiselled coat of arms (a gold lion on blue, vaio fur) stands beside the portal. From 1978 to 2010 the piano nobile housed the Istituto per l'Arte e il Restauro and the non-profit Associazione Palazzo Spinelli.

The palazzo stands at Borgo Santa Croce 10, a short walk from the basilica of Santa Croce. The facade, portal and courtyard graffiti are the elements to look at from the street and entrance side. The upper floor housed the Istituto per l'Arte e il Restauro from 1978 to 2010, so interior access depends on the current occupant; ask locally before planning a visit.

The building functions today as a workshop-school where you can observe real restoration projects on actual artworks, not replicas or training models. Visitors can sometimes watch professionals working directly on valuable pieces, providing an immediate sense of this specialized craft.