Historic Places of Italy Day 2022

01/10/2022 - 14:00 | 01/10/2022 - 19:00

SOLD OUT EVENT – Thank You for the Incredible Participation

On the occasion of the first edition of the National Day of Locali Storici d'Italia, Bernini Palace opens the doors of its 16th-century palace to let visitors discover the artistic and historical treasures it preserves.

Info and reservations

Bernini Palace features a large hall on the first floor, now used as the breakfast room, which was once known as the “Parliament Buvette,” a meeting place for ideas and discussions. The hotel was formerly called Hotel Parlamento and served as a residence and gathering place for members of Parliament, who continued their debates there just outside the halls of Palazzo Vecchio — then the seat of the Chamber of Deputies — and the Uffizi Gallery, where the Senate of the Kingdom met when Florence was the Capital of the Kingdom of Italy.

The earliest records of Bernini Palace — the first hotel in Florence to have running water and the first to provide stables for guests’ horses — date back to the 15th century, when the building belonged to the ancient Della Pera family, ancestors of the Peruzzi family, also mentioned in the 16th canto of Dante’s Paradiso. During recent restoration work, a 16th-century loggia was brought back to light and now hosts Ristorante La Chiostrina. The lobby, meanwhile, is decorated with sculpted heads wearing eccentric hats, suggesting that the space may once have housed a unique hat boutique.

The National Day of Locali Storici d'Italia is an unmissable opportunity to discover these and many other corners of pure beauty preserved within the Bernini Palace.

The visit is free of charge and lasts approximately 30 minutes. Meeting point: in the hotel lobby, 10 minutes before your scheduled tour time.