A Jacobite Gazetteer - Florence

Palazzo Gianfigliazzi

Facade
Facade

Towards the end of 1793 Queen Louise (widow of King Charles III) acquired this palace located at Lungarno Corsini 2 near the Ponte Santa Trinita. ¹ It is one of several buildings along this stretch of the Arno which at one point belonged to the Gianfigliazzi family. The building was formerly called Palazzo Ruggerini, and is sometimes called "Casa Alfieri". Count Vittorio Alfieri died here on October 8, 1803 and Queen Louise on January 29, 1824.

"The palace consists of a ground floor with heavily barred windows and a lofty rounded portal in the usual Florentine style of architecture, and of three storeys with seven round-headed windows. . . . The top-most storey of all, once a loggia or open-pillared balcony, was added by Alfieri himself. . . . Here the great tragedian possessed his library on the second floor, whilst the Countess [i.e. Louise] occupied the fine sunny chambers on the piano nobile."

Above the main entrance arch to the palace (behind the flagpole) is an Italian inscription:

VITTORIO ALFIERI PRINCIPE DELLA TRAGEDIA
PER LA GLORIA E RIGENERAZIONE DELL' ITALIA
QUI CON MAGNANIMO ABDIE MOLTI ANNI DETTO E QUI MORI

Vittorio Alfieri, Prince of Tragic Poetry,
for the glory and the rebirth of Italy
who with magnaminity lived here many years and died here.

Today the palace serves as the consulate of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is open April to October from 7.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. and from 12.00 noon to 3.00 p.m.; November to March from 8.00 a.m. to 12.00 noon and from 1.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m.

(Telephone: 39.055.284133; email: Consular.Florence@fco.gov.uk)

Notes

¹ Louise and Alfieri had been in Florence for almost a year. On November 6, 1792, Alfieri wrote to Mario Bianchi, "Were I alone, I should quickly find something, for a single man always lights upon a lodging, but it is not so with my Lady, who is accustomed to be housed suitably. Much time and patience are being expended, before we can get properly accomodated, nor do I know if we shall ever find what we require." (Quoted in Herbert M. Vaughan, The Last Stuart Queen: Louise, Countess of Albany, Her Life & Letters (London: Duckworth, 1910), 182). Louise and Alfieri first resided at the inn of the Acquila, and then rented a small furnished apartment, before finding Palazzo Gianfigliazzi.