>Piazza del Pesce is a small widening from which one can enter towards the Lungarno degli Archibusieri and is located just beyond the Ponte Vecchio.
It bears this name because the
piscarian forum
, that is, the fish market in Roman times. At one time there existed in the square a first Loggia del Pesce, which was later dismantled to allow Giorgio Vasari to create the Vasarian Corridor. Currently, a Fish Lodge, rebuilt in the twentieth century, is located in Piazza dei Ciompi.
Just beyond Piazza del Pesce, on the Lungarno degli Acciaiuoli, is the Tower of the Consorts. “Consorts” should be understood to mean the consortia, i.e., groups of families who supported each other in political choices as well as at events. This phenomenon of cooperation between family groups is somewhat at the origin of the opposition between Guelphs and Ghibellines.
In the other direction, however, is the aforementioned Vasari Corridor. But around Fish Square, in a historic square in Florence, there is also a site for contemporary and more avant-garde art lovers: the Cathedral of the Image.
With 3 curiosities!
Places of interest in Fish Square
The column of Santa Felicita
In Santa Felicita Square stands a column erected in the medieval times. For a long time it was believed to commemorate the legendary battle that took place between the militiamen of St. Peter Martyr and the Patarine heretics. How much this is true is a bit of a matter of debate.
In any case, in the
Buonsignori Charter
you can actually see the Column of Saint Felicita, topped by the statue of Saint Peter Martyr. And this column would pair with the Trebbio Column.
The column was built in the 13th century by the Rossi d’Oltrarno family, apparently at the initiative of Amerigo de’ Rossi. Destroyed in the 18th century, it was rebuilt by the last progenitor of the family, Isidoro de’ Rossi.
The Cathedral of the Image
Overlooking St. Stephen’s Square, the
Cathedral of the Image
is none other than the Romanesque church of Santo Stefano al Ponte.
The church has been deconsecrated for more than 30 years and now houses a place that has the ambition to combine theart with immersive technology. In short, state-of-the-art experiences can be had in such an ancient building, thanks to digital tools that allow anyone to immerse themselves in the work.
It is certainly a site that lovers of innovation would love to visit. The exhibition center has hosted several exhibitions, including:
Klimt Experience
,
Da Vinci Experience
e
Inside Banksy
.
More than anything else, perhaps it was a choice to keep himself safe: the duke did not trust the Florentines too much, who were busy digesting the end of the Florentine Republic and the beginning of a new political order.
Today the Vasari Corridor is closed to the public for security reasons. But the reopening is expected with the completion of restoration and modernization work. The visit will allow access to the passage from the Uffizi, walk the stretch along the Ponte Vecchio and reach the Boboli Gardens and to Pitti Palace.
The creation of the second Fish Loggia was a way to ward off the fishmongers who occupied the Ponte Vecchio. In short, Duke Cosimo I probably did not like the idea of crossing fish-smelling streets. For this, he commissioned Giorgio Vasari to build a new loggia, near the Old Market. And that’s why on the Old Bridge we find gold, but no fish!
The Consorti Tower belonged to a group of 18 families And it was also called the Lion Tower. Some rooms today are panoramic hotel rooms.
Giorgio Vasari had some problems with the “neighbors” of the Palazzo Vecchio. In fact, he had to think of a solution to allow the corridor to cross the Torre de’ Mannelli. The Mannellis, in fact, were not supposed to be too supportive of this architectural “invasion,” so Vasari had to design a corridor tour around the tower.
