The Bernini Palace and Florence: a dialogue between history and culture

10-02-2021 | Style & Culture

Written by: Digital Gran Tour

Outside the Bernini Palace, on a marble plaque of the wall, we can read this line of the Paradise poem of Dante: "Nel picciol cerchio s'entrava per porta che si nomava da quei della pera". It recalls the Della Pera family, ancient owner of the palace and symbolizes the historical and deep connection between the Hotel and Florence, because nothing happens by chance in this unique city.

Sala Parlamento

In the heart of Florence, face to face with the Renaissance birthplace

Walking in Florence is like a stroll through history or browsing the page of a marvellous illustrated book. Florence is the birthplace of the Renaissance and the native and artistic home of Dante, Boccaccio, Machiavelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Botticelli, Donatello and many other artists with immortal fame. Beside the Bernini there are Palazzo Vecchio, political symbol of the city from the time of the Republic, Palazzo Pitti, tied to the Medici family, Santa Maria Novella, with its typical decorative style, Piazza della Signoria, the Duomo di Santa Maria del Fiore and Piazza Santa Croce. Ideas and talents have always bloomed here: the name Firenze means indeed florentia, blooming. At every step we discover a fascinating history, from the time of Guelfi, Ghibellini, of Lorenzo il Magnifico, of the Medici family and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany to the annexation to Italy and to the brief period of Florence Capital of the Italian Kingdom.

The prestigious breakfast room

The Bernini Palace is protagonist of an important chapter of the Italian history

Just a few steps from the Arno river, the Bernini Palace is located in a XV century palace, in classical architectonical Florentine style. During the XVII century it was the only hotel in Florence with running water and a shelter for animals. Already in the nineteenth century the palace was an elegant hotel, known as Hotel of the Shield of France. But only when Florence was the capital of the Kingdom of Italy (1865-1871), it had its greatest moment of glory. The Shield of France became Columbia Parlamento Hotel and the place to meet for the members of the House of Parliament, who gathered at Palazzo Vecchio, and the senators, who gathered at Palazzo Pitti.

The Chiostrina Restaurant

One of the treasures of Bernini Palace Hotel is the prestigious breakfast room, named Sala del Parlamento because It was the Buvette of Parliament and still boasts frescoes and portraits of the protagonists of the Italian Risorgimento: Garibaldi, Cavour, Gioberti, Balbo, Lamarmora, Daniele Manin and many others. Visiting the hotel we can discover many interesting details, like the XVI century loggia which now houses the Chiostrina Restaurant. Lastly, we are in the city of arts, crafts, corporations and the hotel hall boasts a particular past: it was a boutique, a hat shop, as shown by the series of niches decorated with female heads which adorns the entire area.