Since the 14th century the Piazza della Signoria has been the historical center of Florence’s political activity and is rich with architecture and sculptures. While Florence has a plethora of statues and sculptures, Piazaa della Signoria is the home of many masterpieces created by Renaissance masters. Beside the Palazzo Vechhio, the town hall of Florence, is an outdoor room where sculptures are displayed. The Loggia dei Lanzi, also called the Loggia della Signoria, was designed by Orcagna and constructed in 1376 to house sculptures.
On display in the Loggia della Signoria, also called the Loggia dei Lanzi, this marble sculpture was originally found in Rome in 1541 and is a copy of a Greek bronze from 240-230 BC. In 1579, it was gifted by Pope Pius IV to Cosimo de Medici. This sculpture is one of fifteen replicas known as the Pasquino Group. Also referred to as Ajax Carrying the Body of Achilles or Menelaus Carrying the Body of Patroclus, it portrays a scene in The Iliad during the Trojan War in Troy. Menelaus, King of Sparta, is courageously removing his friend Patroclus’ dead body from the battlefield. The strength of both soldiers is emphasized with their well -defined muscles. Contrasting with this show of strength is the gentleness of Menelaus’ hold on Patroclus. Holding Patroclus across his leg, rather than carrying him across his back or dragging him, displays Menelaus’ love for Patroclus.
Italian sculptor Pio Fedi (1816-1892) created this work in 1868 from a single piece of marble. It is considered his masterpiece, lifting him from obscurity, and its location in the Loggia dei Lanzi is considered to be a monumental appreciation for his work. It was purchased by the city of Florence and Fedi agreed, as a condition of the sale, not to make a reproduction. Mixing various styles, this piece portrays the mythological Greek story of the abduction of Polyxena, the daughter of Troy’s King Priam and Queen Hecuba. Achilles’ son, Pyrrhus, is effortlessly holding a struggling Polyxena, after killing her brother and raising a sword above Queen Hecuba, who is clinging to her daughter. The Italian verb for abduct is rapir, hence this piece is often called The Abduction of Polyxena. On April 1, 2013 the sculpture was vandalized by a tourist who removed a finger from it. The same finger was torn from the statue in October 2012.
Sculpted by Flemish artist Giambologna, also known as Jean de Boulogne (1529-1608), in 1599 from one block of white marble, this piece was moved several times, finally resting in the Loggia in 1841. Giambologna was an important sculptor to the Medici’s; He was kept in Santissima Annuniziata Basilica in Florence to prevent being hired by others. The sculptor’s exceptional awareness of physiology is revealed in Heracles’ rib cage, showing through his tight skin, and the leg veins of the centaur. This piece is considered an example of Mannerism, which was popular in European art from 1520-1600. This movement is characterized by long forms, spiraled subjects,contorted poses and detached gazes, displaying physical power and passion.
Also created by Giambologna, this piece was created from a single block of marble in 1583 and has been on display in the Loggia since 1583. This is one of the first sculptures with no main viewpoint, inviting observers to look up into the snakelike spiral and viewing it from 360 degrees. He created this piece under pressure to produce a large sculpture, as the streets of Florence were lined with large, important works. Originally, the piece was simply called “a group of three statues”, as Giambologna had no specific inspiration. After it was completed and installed in the Loggia, he created the bronze relief which sits at the base of the sculpture, clarifying the sculpture’s subject. A Roman is capturing a Sabine woman while he stands over and dominates a Sabine man. This abduction was a result of the male population of Rome needing more women to reproduce. The bodies are positioned as a spiral, twisting upward and capturing one of the main themes of Mannerism.
Sculpted by Florentine artist Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571), this bronze piece has stood in the Loggia since 1554. Commissioned by Grand Duke Cosimo 1 of Tuscany in 1545, Cellini completed it in nine years. Considered to be his best work, Cellini included his self -portrait on the back of Perseus’ helmet. The flowing blood from Medusa’s head is a symbol of artistic creation. Cellini compared pouring molten metal with blood, suggesting that blood was a symbol of life. Perseus’ outstretched arm, dripping with blood, symbolizes the artist as he pours liquid metal into a cast.
Bartolomeo Bandinelli (1493-1560) was commissioned by the Republican government of Florence to create a marble sculpture which would flank the entrance to the Palazzo della Signoria, opposite Michelangelo’s David in 1525. In 1508 Michelangelo was originally given the commission, but when the marble finally arrived in 1525, he was working on the Medici Chapel. Bandinelli worked on this block of marble for two years. In 1528, during the Republican’s reign of power, worked stopped on the Medici Chapel and Michelangelo was given the marble block to take over the project. After the Medici’s political power was restored in 1530, Michelangelo resumed work on the Chapel and the block was once again in Bandinelli’s hands. After the sculpture was installed in 1534, Bandinelli enhanced the muscles as he thought they needed to be larger in contrast to the vastness of the Piazza and the perfection of Michelangelo’s David. The killing of the monster Cacus shows Hercules as a symbol of power and strength. Bandinelli compared himself to Michelangelo his entire life and undertook very large projects to compete for recognition. His jealousy was known by his students and he once purposely destroyed a drawing by Michelangelo.
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475-1564) sculpted David from a single marble block between 1501 and 1504. Commissioned at 26, David was intended to be placed on the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore’s roof. Considered too perfect and, at 6 tons, too heavy to be placed on a roof, it was placed in the Palazzo della Signoria The marble block he was given had already been carved somewhat, limiting his use of the marble and the design of the sculpture. At 14 feet tall, David is considered a symbol of strength with a very muscular body, tightly gripping stones and a slingshot, with visible veins. Michelangelo departed from the popular version of David by carving him before battle, looking tense and concentrating. Originally intended to be viewed on top of the Cathedral, his hands and head appear large and his left leg disproportionately long for his body, so as to be seen easily. David is considered to be one of the world’s great pieces of art. In 1873 it was moved inside to the Galleria dell’Accademia and a replica was installed in 1910 on the Piazza della Signoria.