Palazzo Lanfredini

The Palazzo Lanfredini is a historic building in the heart of Florence, standing at the corner of the Lungarno Guicciardini, Piazza degli Scarlatti, and Via de' Geppi. The building was constructed in the early 16th century by Lanfredino di Jacopo d'Orsino Lanfredini, who served as Gonfaloniere di giustizia in 1501. The architectural design is attributed to Baccio d'Agnolo, whose plans were probably carried out around 1512, at the same time as the paving of the adjacent riverbank. Stylistically, the palazzo draws on Roman models that the architect had seen on a trip between 1510 and 1511. Its hallmarks are the monumental staircase and a loggia on the piano nobile, supported by small Doric columns and overlooking the central courtyard.

The facade has a distinctive character that sets it apart from the typical Florentine civic architecture of the period. It is defined by a rectangular doorway in the Roman style and two rows of windows with flat architraves and prominent cornices. Especially striking is the decorative sgraffito technique, which shows a rusticated pattern on the ground floor and grotesque figures and coats of arms on the upper floors. Vasari attributes this work to Andrea di Cosimo Feltrini. Along the frieze runs an inscription celebrating Pope Leo X, to whom the patron was closely tied and whose entry into Florence in 1515 he helped organize. Inside, original Renaissance elements have been preserved, including a wash basin in the entrance area as well as decorated capitals and vaulted ceilings. A ground-floor room also contains a fresco by Volterrano from 1672, depicting the spirit of the age.

Over the centuries the building changed hands several times before serving as a hotel in the early 20th century, following extensive restorations. Famous guests included the painter William Merritt Chase. Today the palazzo houses the headquarters of the British Institute of Florence, which manages the extensive library of the writer and historian Sir Harold Acton, who shared use of the building in the 1970s. The facade was most recently restored in 2012. At the rear of the building on Via Santo Spirito stands the old tower of the Lanfredini family, the clan's original residence.