Palazzo Rucellai (Rucellai Palace), Florence

Palazzo Rucellai (Rucellai Palace), Florence

The Rucellai Palace, believed to have been designed by Leon Battista Alberti between 1446 and 1451, and executed partially by Bernardo Rossellino, stands as a testament to the pioneering ideas of Renaissance architecture. Its facade, characterized by the innovative use of pilasters and entablatures in harmonious proportions, showcases the distinctive three-tier Florentine style.

The facade, with its grid-like structure achieved through a system of trabeated articulation, exudes an aura of rational humanist clarity. The stone veneer is adorned with channeled rustication, providing a textured backdrop for the smooth-faced pilasters and entablatures that divide the facade into a series of three-story bays. Each story of the Rucellai facade features a different classical order, reminiscent of the Colosseum. The base showcases the Tuscan order, replacing the Ionic order at the second level with a Renaissance original, and culminates in a simplified Corinthian order at the top level. Twin-lit, round-arched windows on the upper stories are embraced by arches adorned with distinct voussoirs, stretching from pilaster to pilaster. The facade is elegantly crowned by a boldly projecting cornice.

The Rucellai family, like the renowned Medici family, were prominent bankers, and their wealth is evident in the splendor of this palace. Although the interior remains hidden from public view, the exterior stands as a testament to their opulence and taste.

Tip:
Situated on the ground floor of a section that was once part of the palazzo, you'll find the renowned Il Latini restaurant, whose fame stretches far and wide, attracting visitors from around the world. This popularity is evident as the restaurant is bustling and filled to capacity nearly every evening. To ensure you have the opportunity to indulge in their delectable Tuscan cuisine, it is highly recommended to make a reservation in advance.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Florence. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Palazzo Rucellai (Rucellai Palace) on Map

Sight Name: Palazzo Rucellai (Rucellai Palace)
Sight Location: Florence, Italy (See walking tours in Florence)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark

Walking Tours in Florence, Italy

Create Your Own Walk in Florence

Create Your Own Walk in Florence

Creating your own self-guided walk in Florence is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Florence's Hidden Art Treasures

Florence's Hidden Art Treasures

The “Cradle of the Renaissance,” Florence is one of Europe’s most beautiful and busiest destinations, home to some of the world's greatest pieces of art and architecture. The iconic masters like Giotto, Botticelli, Raphael and Michelangelo, as well as their somewhat less-known but equally talented counterparts, such as Ghirlandaio, Sangallo and Castagno, have blessed this city with...  view more

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Michelangelo's Masterpieces Walking Tour

Michelangelo's Masterpieces Walking Tour

Michelangelo spent over 20 years of his life in Florence – the birthplace of the Renaissance – during which time he created some of the most beautiful masterpieces the city had ever seen. The most famous of them – the David – was larger than life, and brought a larger-than-life image to the artist. No amount of photos or copies of the statue will do it justice, so to see it with your own...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.0 Km or 2.5 Miles
Duomo Walking Tour

Duomo Walking Tour

Located in the very heart of historic Florence, the Duomo area is deservedly considered the city’s religious and civic center, replete with numerous landmarks. Piazza del Duomo and Piazza della Signoria, the two most important squares in the city, are steeped in history and the sights and activities found here are truly endless.

The most prominent of these, undoubtedly, is the breathtaking...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.8 Km or 1.7 Miles
Dante's Florence Walking Tour

Dante's Florence Walking Tour

Dante Alighieri was arguably the greatest – albeit also most controversial – of Italy's poets. After having served as one of the six priors governing Florence, his political activities – including the banishing of several rivals – led to his own banishment, upon which he wrote his masterpiece, “The Divine Comedy”, as a wanderer, seeking protection for his family in one town after...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.1 Km or 1.3 Miles
Arno South Bank Walking Tour

Arno South Bank Walking Tour

The area south of Arno river, also called Oltrarno ("Beyond the Arno"), is a quieter place but not less interesting. Here you can find the Pitti Palace whose collection of paintings is second only to the Uffizi, and the vast Boboli Gardens once enjoyed by the Medici and the royal family. One of the first and most important examples of "Italian Gardens", they later served as...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.4 Km or 1.5 Miles
Florence Introduction Walking Tour

Florence Introduction Walking Tour

The city of Florence was founded by Julius Caesar in 59 BC as a settlement for veteran soldiers. It was built initially in the style of an army garrison – with main streets intersecting at today's Piazza della Repubblica. The original name, Fluentia, stems from its location between the two rivers; later, it was renamed Florentia, which means “flowering” or “flourishing”.

The...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.1 Km or 2.5 Miles

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