Palazzo Corsini – the History

In 1649 Maria Maddalena Macchiavelli, the wife of the Marchese Filippo Corsini, purchased the palace from the Grand Duke Ferdinando II de’ Medici. Originally, Palazzo Corsini, that was called a casino (a small house surrounded by a large garden that extended to the banks of the Arno River where Lungarno Corsini is located), belonged to the Ardinghelli family, then to the Medici, to the Corsini and today it is in the hands of their descendants Miari Fulcis and Sanminiatelli.

The Palazzo is a late baroque building and this is obvious throughout, from the roofs decorated with statues and terracotta vases – a novelty for Renaissance Florence – and the main, U-shaped courtyard that opens towards the riverbank. The two men responsible for Palazzo Corsini were Bartolomeo Corsini (1622-1685), the son of Filippo Corsini and Maria Maddalena Macchiavelli and, Filippo son of Bartolomeo’s son (1647-1705) who expanded the portion of the Palazzo that extends towards Ponte S. Trinita.

The construction continued non-stop for 50 years. The magnificent decorations, that were done between 1692 and 1700, belong to one of the finest and most intense moments in Florentine painting. The family commissioned several artists to decorate the noble apartment on the first floor, that includes Galleria Aurora, the Salone, the ballroom and other important rooms; the outstanding painters include Anton Domenico Gabbiani, Alessandro Gherardini and Pier Dandini.