History of Lanfredini Palace

The Guicciardini family from Poppiano in the Valley of Pesa, arrived in Florence during the third century and made their living out of commerce. Lungarno where our Palace lies, takes its name from the Guicciardini family, situated between the bridges of Santa Trinità and Carraia in the zone of Santo Spirito.

Number 9 Lanfredini Palace was constructed around 1501 on lands held by the ancient Lanfredini family. At the time Lanfredino Lanfredini was one of the Gonfaloniers of justice of Florence. The Palace became the property of the Guicciardini's in 1810.

The Palace is mentioned in “Le Vite” by Vasari, who attributes the design of the building to Baccio D’Agnolo who built it on another Palace that belonged to the same noble family since  1435.

A monumental staircase leads you to a loggia with Doric styled columns that opens on to the central court. The Palace's main architectural inspiration derives from Roman architecture.

Upon Lanfredino’s death, the property passed to his three sons. The Palace remained the property of the family until the end of the dynasty in 1741 with the death of the Cardinal Jacopo Lanfredini. The Palace then passed to the Cardinal's sister who had married in to the Corboli family, who held it for a century. The Palazzo then passed to the Bernini family where it became a hotel, then a shared property with an English man named Acton who, upon his death, left his part to the British Institute of Florence.

The facade doesn’t represent typical characters of Florentine civil architecture, with its ashlar style facade, blackbirds, grotesque figures and coat of arms upon the upper levels.

Reconstruction has been necessary on the upper levels to repair the damages occurred during the Second World War.