Palazzo Bartolini Salimbeni
A massive palace , built in the most expensive street in Florence – in all probability the owner was rich … and to judge from the exterior the palace has been here for some time?
Yes ….correct on both counts …but what is their story ?
Certainly the family Bartolini , who originally came from Siena, had already made their mark on the city and amassed a considerable fortune but they hadn’t built this palace when Hartmann Schedel made a detailed map of Florence in 1493
In fact the elegant Renaissance Palazzo Bartolini-Salimbeni,was designed by Baccio d’ Agnolo in the 1520s – quite late in time in relation to it’s neighbours – such as the huge castle now housing the Ferragamo empire, which was originally built in 1300 for the Spini -Ferroni family, or the yellow plastered Palazzo Buondelmonti built in the early 1400’s.
I am sorry to report that, according to local legend, this palace was built on the unscrupulous actions of one of the Bartolini family who travelled to Venice on what would now be called a Trade Mission with some other colleagues from the Wool Merchants Guild. Evidently, a significant deal had already been agreed to, which would have made all the participants into rich men – but our Bartolini anti-hero wanted it all! He had had the foresight to acquire some opium, and having laced their wine with it, had the dubious satisfaction of seeing them all fall into a sound drugged sleep!
The following morning, left alone with the buyers, thBartolini concluded numerous lucrative contracts which resulted in his family becoming amongst the richest in Florence. In recognition of his somewhat dubious method of winning contracts Bartolini had the audacity to festoon his frieze on their new palace with poppy stamens and seeds and even write their new family motto “per non dormire” ( for not sleeping) on the architrave of a side door! Sadly, you cant read it on this photo – but you can quite clearly see the poppy heads on the right-hand side!
The Bartolini-Salimbeni family lived in the palace until 1839 when they decided to rent it out. The palace then became home to one of the most prestigious hotels in Florence, the Hotel du Nord, a resting place for numerous literary celebrities, including Henry James and Herman Melville.
In 1863 it was acquired by the Pio di Savoia princes and split between different owners.
Since the beginning of 2018, it has also been home to a gallery of modern art.
Thank you for the article:
The sale of part of estate that should have been held in trust thru 2007 for family name bartolini, how did this happen?
This was apparently apart of the the change in holding trusts in perpetuity in Italy.
My Grandfather is N Bartolini, how are we related? Lost track after the tragic death of the MotorCross relative. Almost lived in the palace as the Mayor family used it during world war II.
Please relate if you are one of the Bartolini’s.
Please reply as to whether you are a Bartolini or Not of the Mayor Bartolini.
Thank you
Should you be related and not a pen name.
Provide documentation. Do not post please on Facebook.
Hello – Lisa – sorry I am not related in any way, just an amateur historian living in Florence. I hope you find some support in your quest.
Lisa… I am curious to see how we may be related… regards, Diana Bartolini-S
Dear Diana – How fascinating but I am not sure how to best answer this question. Do you have any living elderly relatives who can help you to trace back at least a couple of generations? They may know some family history from Florence, or indeed Siena where they made their money in 12century before they moved to Florence. I take no legends of the family have been voluntarily passed down to you? There is a Florence archive that you could ask to access but you would need a good knowledge of Italian to make much sense of many of the items. If you Google Bartolini on Wikipedia you can read a bit about their rise to riches and the famous story of the building of their beautiful Palazzo. Sadly, I don’t think any of the family live there any more but last year I did meet one of the family who told me that they had sold the Palazzo and there were plans for a Modern Art Gallery – which has duly come to be there. If you are planning a trip to Florence keep in touch and I will look out for some contacts for you – At the very least you should visit your historic family home – perfectly possible now that it is a gallery!
By the Way, my name is Penny – Last year I was promoting Lisa Clifford’s Writers Retreat on my website to help her fill it.
My word! – I feel as if I am part of Ancestry.com and I think that if you haven’t done so – that might be the place to look for relatives. As for the legal stuff you will need to invest in a lawyer in Italy I am afraid! In Bocca al Lupo!
I always knew my name was Italian but I never knew where it originated
My word! – I feel as if I am part of Ancestry.com and I think that if you haven’t done so – that might be the place to look for relatives. As for the legal stuff you will need to invest in a lawyer in Italy I am afraid! In Bocca al Lupo!