He was indeed an instrument of power consciously used by Cosimo. It was Vasari who in 1555 received the commission to remodel Palazzo della Signoria that Cosimo wanted transformed into the Ducal Palace, that is the court residence.

Following Medicean policy, the changes put in place by Vasari respected and maintained the “maternal walls”, the medieval exterior of the building designed by Arnolfo, but radically modified the interiors, creating a series of apartments, some of which specifically dedicated to Cosimo and his wife Eleonora.

All these interiors are richly frescoed with subjects that praise the virtues of the Medici couple, in particular of the Grand Duke. In the Salone dei Cinquecento (the “Great Hall of the Five Hundred”), that earlier had housed the Council of the Florentine Republic (1494-1512), Vasari painted huge frescoes depicting the military victories of Cosimo over the other Tuscan cities. On the ceiling, Cosimo is portrayed in the sky surrounded by frolicking cherubs while he is crowned by Flora (Florence): it is the apotheosis of Cosimo and the representation of his absolute power.

The imprint of Cosimo’s power is visible not only in the beauty of the interiors of Palazzo Vecchio, but also in the square in front of the palace, Piazza della Signoria, where Vasari built the new Uffizi (1560), the administrative headquarters of the Grand Duchy. The project of the “offices” is characterized by an unusual U-shaped plan that stretches from Piazza della Signoria to the river Arno, thus creating a public street that opens onto the river with a Serlian portico. On the ground floor, the building has a loggia – an unusual solution for Florence – that enriches the dimension of the street and is, in its turn, enriched by niches with statues.

The complex has a decidedly urban connotation: it creates a public street, but at the same time it remains strongly tied to the private spaces of the duke.

The private element is reinforced by the presence of the famous and fascinating Vasari Corridor (1565), connecting Palazzo Vecchio to the new palace, Palazzo dei Pitti, bought by Cosimo and Eleonora to be transformed into their splendid new residence on the opposite side of the river.

The private passage of the court crosses Ponte Vecchio, passes by the Church of Santa Felicita and is still visible nowadays in the stretches connecting the buildings, a reminder of the refined and exclusive atmosphere of the elite who could afford to walk several metres above the ground.

Meet Vasari at Palazzo Vecchio's Museo dei Ragazzi

Visit the Vasari Corridor