The Palazzo dei Vicari

The Palazzo dei Vicari is the result of a series of additions made to the original nucleus of the tower. During the 1300s a building acting as the Captain’s residence was added to the tower; in 1366 much work was done to the castle including work on “ the Chamber of the Keep”, the “restoration” of the archers’ tower and of the “four merlons that fell and broke on the watchman’s tower”.
The XVI century was key moment as regards the layout of the Palace; following the earthquake of 1542 there had been much damage to the building, the restoration of which gave the Palace an appearance similar to that of today (at least as far as the Vicar’s residence and the reception rooms were concerned).

The rebuilding had also led to the definitive positioning of the prisons, set in the vaulted rooms on the ground floor (now the loggia).
Modifications and repairs were to continue to interest the Palace throughout the 1600s after another earthquake on the 8 th of September 1611.
The repair work was finished in August 1612 and at the end of it the palace had partially changed its appearance. Barbicans to strengthen the walls, a roof sloping onto the facade, plastering of the facade and the repair and texturing of the great side wall leading to the S. Agata gate, were the works most evident on the outside of the building.

A few more changes and the Palace took on the morphological features which were to remain unchanged until halfway through the XIX century when the building once again underwent restoration work and was reorganised.
The damage following the 1960 earthquake, together with the precarious state of the foundations, were the subject of intensive consolidation and restoration work (starting in 1980) ending in 1999 with the restoration of the monumental quarters and the rebuilding of the north wing where the Museum of Knives is now situated.

Art Itineraries

The facade is dotted with many blazons since each Vicar was obliged to leave the emblem of his family. Those in glazed terracotta from the workshops of Della Robbia and Benedetto Buglioni are of particular interest. The inner atrium is also decorated with friezes and heraldic coats-of-arms. On the left are two frescoes attributed to the Florentine school and dating to the XIV century, “L’Incredulità di S.Tommaso» and a “Madonna in trono con Santi” with St. Barnabas, the protector of Scarperia holding an effigy of the Palace in his hand. On the landing of the stairs leading to the first floor there is a giant fresco of St. Christopher, a work dating back to the 1400s.

On the first floor, in the first room the “Madonna con Bambino e Santi” by the Ghirlandaio school is particularly important. In the adjoining room is a rare piece, dating back to the XV century, which was the movement of the clock set in the tower of the Palace and which appears to have been made by Filippo Brunelleschi, the famous Florentine architect.
The next room, previously the Council Chamber, is completely decorated with heraldic decorations and, in the lower part, by a painted drape. In the same room is the “Crocifissione” (XV century) and on the right wall the busts of St. Francesco and St. Lorenzo, two XVI century frescoes. The adjoining rooms were the Vicar’s apartments and retain only the original fireplaces. A reconstruction of the setting provides information about the life of the Vicar and his “family”, while in another room, the Mayor’s office, are works of art from Florentine archives.
A secret and enchanting part of the Palace is situated under the roof where the valuable pre-Unitarian historic archive is situated, containing documents and deeds dating from the XV century, one of the most important of its kind in the Florentine area.

The The Knife Museum is situated in the Palazzo dei Vicari
Opening times of the Palazzo dei Vicari and The Knife Museum:

Summer opening times from the 1 st of June to the 15 th of September
Wednesday to Friday – 3.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.
Saturday and holidays – 10.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.- and 3.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.
Winter opening times from the 16 September to the 1 st of June
Saturday and holidays – 10.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m.- and 3.00 p.m. to 6.30 p.m.

For groups and school visits also open at other times by booking with Pro Lo Scarperia, tel. 055/8468165 Fax: 055/8468862
e-mail: info@proloscarperia.com

© photograph by Sandro Santioli