Resting on top of an ancient Roman theatre dating back to the 1st Century AD, the Palazzo Vecchio was built from the start as a hall designed to host the city council of Florence.  At the time called Palazzo della Signoria, it was expanded in1342, with the extensions giving it the appearance of a fortress, and hidden staircases were added for secret escapes during the night.

The Salone dei Cinquecento (Hall of the Five Hundred), the most grand room in the palace, was built in 1494, and will leave any visitor standing in awe with it’s huge paneled walls and fresco ceilings painted by both Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti.

in 1540 Cosimo I de’Medici decided to turn the home into his residence alongside his wife, and the Palazzo went through extensive renovations.  After he moved to his new house, the Palazzo Pitti, the name of Palazzo della Signoria became Palazzo Vecchio, or the Old Palace.

Today it is a beautiful museum for Florence, and hosts the town hall of Florence as well.

Have you been inside the Palazzo Vecchio?  Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!