Palazzo Bernardini, Renaissance palace in Piazza Bernardini, Lucca, Italy
Palazzo Bernardini is a Renaissance building with rusticated stone walls and Doric pilasters on the ground floor, topped by detailed mullioned windows with wooden shutters on the upper levels. The interior spaces feature richly decorated coffered ceilings and ornate doorframes adorned with Moorish-style door knockers.
Martino Bernardini, a merchant from Lucca, commissioned the central section between 1517 and 1523. Later wings were added during the 1700s, expanding the original structure considerably.
The Bernardini name comes from the merchant family who commissioned it, reflecting Lucca's history as a trading center. People today gather in the plaza outside to sit and view the building's exterior.
The building sits in a central plaza within Lucca's old town and is easy to reach when walking through the historic area. Visitors can view the exterior anytime and use the surrounding plaza as a rest spot.
Above one window sits an oddly shaped stone called Pietra del Diavolo that remains curved despite repeated attempts to straighten it with iron structures. This oddity has made the building a talking point among locals over the years.
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