Palazzo Vecchio - "Secret Passages"

Nikola Benin, Ph.D

Personally I prefer independent solo travel but there are situations where I would prefer a guided tour. One such situation is if I'm in a building of historical significance and said building is one of the city's main tourist attractions. In the case of any historical building in Europe I never took a formal European history class and I never paid much attention to any history class in high school, so much of European history I learn through my travels. What a guided tour does is present the relevant information in a way that can be explained in layman's terms so I don't have to be guessing at what I'm looking nor do I have to read through lots of placards, which can lead to museum fatigue. Post-trip the guided tours can point me in the right direction for more detailed research later.

When researching my Italy trip I looked at TripAdvisor for the major tourist attractions. For Palazzo Vecchio many reviews pointed out how much they enjoyed the "Secret Passages" guided tour that guides visitors in secret areas not accessible to the public. For €4 extra you get a 75-minute tour that also delves into the history of the building, both as the the political center of the Florentine Republic as well as the personal space of the Medicis. Keep in mind that this isn't the tour that focuses on Dan Brown's "Inferno", though that tour is also offered as the book prominently features Palazzo Vecchio. 

This tour is provided by the curators of the Palazzo Vecchio, though there are lots of third-party vendors that try to sell you the same tour. Book your spot here: ticketsmuseums.comune.fi…. Tickets can be purchased around 60 days prior.

I took a tour in the evening and I was supposed to be in a group of about 10 but since that group didn't show up I essentially got a private tour for €4. The guide was super knowledgable and using the secret parts of the palace told the story of the building in chronological order. 
(Spoiler alert: tour contents ahead).
- The Duke of Athens secret spiral staircase predates the Medicis rule. While navigating through the thick walls my guide narrated how Palazzo Vecchio served as the headquarters for a democratically ruled Florentine Republic. For those that visited the Doge's Palace back in Venice the government and building functions are very similar to each other in that the heads of the merchant guilds are democratically elected to a council for short periods of time and are required to be isolated from public view to avoid possible corruption. 
- Much of the tour is focused on the rooms occupied by the Medicis, specifically the hidden rooms made for the grand dukes Cosimo I (not to be confused with Cosimo the Elder, founder of the Medici dynasty) and his son Francesco. Turns out that Francesco saw himself as a scientist and was interested in alchemy rather than the political affairs of the state. He created a "studiolo" so he can go about his studies in peace while also allowing him to store unusual and rare objects in the secret cupboards, which are hidden by paintings that depict the four elements in various forms. Another painting hid an entrance to the Tesoretto, Cosimo's secret study.
- The final part of the tour takes you above the apartments into the attic. Here you will see the set of trusses built by Vasari that support the ceiling of the Salone dei Cinquecento. After Brunelleschi's dome I consider this the second-most architectural wonder in Florence as its construction predates modern building-making techniques. 
- The tour ends at the Salone dei Cinquecento where you are free to explore Palazzo Vecchio as much as you like. The next step is to explore the various private apartments on the first and second floors.

I highly recommend this tour if you're ever in Florence. Along with the two major art galleries, the Duomo complex and Palazzo Pitti a visit to Palazzo Vecchio is essential in understanding the history and culture of the city. For €4 extra (about the cost of a moderately priced drink or cheap sandwich) a guide can help you digest the history of the building in a way that can enhance your visit.