A bit of history
Pucci Palace
Along Via de’ Pucci, stands the Pucci Palace built by an ancient Florentine family that still lives there and has distinguished itself for its roles in politics, religion, economics and intelligent patronage of the arts.
The first of the family, Jacopo, arrived in Florence from the countryside of Arezzo in the 12th century and settled in the district of Santa Croce.
The coat of arms, consisting of a Moor with a white band and three hammers and the motto Candida Praecordia, has no historically established origin. One interpretation is that Jacopo belonged to the Ghibelline family of the Saracini, who had distinguished themselves in the wars against the Saracens to such an extent that they took their name. In contrast to his family of origin, he left his surname and the city of Arezzo and became a Guelph, enrolling in the art of carpenters in Florence, where, due to his not great stature, he was nicknamed Jacopuccio and then Puccio, and his sons and grandsons became the Pucci, all enrolled in the carpenters’ guild.
A branch of the family moved to the people of San Michele Visdomini.
Antonio Pucci, a member of the Otto di Guardia and Balia in 1412, was the progenitor of the four branches of this part of the family that has continued to leave important traces in the public life of the city up to the present day.
With Orazio Ruberto (1625-1697), ambassador to Madrid, the main branch obtained the title of Marquis of Barsento from Philip IV of Spain in 1662.
In 1748, Orazio Roberto Pucci (1730-1802), began the works that within five years brought the front on Via dei Pucci, between Via Ricasoli and Via dei Servi, into a unified appearance.
While today the part on the corner with Via Ricasoli belongs to the descendants of the late Emilio Pucci, who left his daughter Laudomia the trademark of the prestigious fashion house that bears his name, the part of the palazzo in the centre of the façade belongs to Marquis Giannozzo Pucci, son of Emilio’s brother Puccio, ‘custodian’ of the archives and family memories. The courtyard, after numerous alterations over the centuries, was restored by Marquis Puccio Pucci in the second half of the 20th century with a long and intelligent work that he designed to transform the rooms into a shopping gallery.
Starting in the 1950s, Marquis Puccio, foreseeing the future increase in the number of cars in Florence, initiated the transformation of the palace’s cellars into a substantial car park serving the city.