From its vantage
point overlooking the beautiful Piazza della Signoria in the heart of
historical Florence, Gucci Museo’s location could scarcely be more auspicious,
or apt.
The museum itself is
housed within the Palazzo della Mercanzia, a building whose history is deeply
entwined with that of Florence itself. Founded in 1308 on the site of an
ancient Roman theatre, the Palazzo was originally established to support the
trade guilds of the day. In serving the interests of the city’s cloth
importers, wool manufacturers and silk weavers, the Palazzo became a powerful
administrative base that did much to promote Florence’s emergence as one of the
leading commercial and cultural centres of Renaissance Europe.
Over the centuries, a
retinue of illustrious tenants, from high ranking government officials to
members of the infamous Medici family, has taken up residence at Palazzo della
Mercanzia. But its latest incarnation, as home to the Gucci Museo, is the one
that enjoys greatest synergy with the Palazzo’s original purpose as a champion
of Florentine art and craftsmanship.
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