Locations of the Festival
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European University InstituteSince 1976 the official headquarters of the European University Institute has been located by the Badia Fiesolana, a monumental complex situated in the outstanding scenery of the Fiesole hills, already a part of the Bishopric of Fiesole and partly to the Scolopi fathers, a religious order known for their involvement in schooling and education. The church of Badia Fiesolana was built between 1027 and 1028 in the place formerly occupied by an oratory dedicated to Saints Peter and Romulus. Later, a monastery was erected next to the church, which was apparently devoted to saint Bartholomew. Transferred from the Benedictines to the Augustinians, the Badia complex was later acquired by the Medici family around the mid XV century. It was mostly Cosimo il Vecchio who invested in the completion of the monastery building and who brought the central structure almost to its current state. Some centuries later, after a spell of neglect, Badia was taken in the custody of the Scolopi Fathers in 1876, exactly one hundred years before the foundation of the Istituto Universitario Europeo. |
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Loggia dei LanziTakes its name from the Landsknechts that camped here in 1527 on their way to Rome. The Lodge is situated in Piazza della Signoria, on the right of Palazzo Vecchio and right at the back of the neighbouring Uffizi. Built between 1376 and 1382 for public gatherings and ceremonies, it houses several outstanding statues, including Perseus holding the head of Medusa, Benvenuto Cellini’s recently restored extraordinary bronze masterpiece, and Giambologna’s Rape of the Sabine Women and Hercules beating the Centaur Nessus. |
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Palazzo VecchioSituated in Piazza della Signoria, the Palace marked the passage from the Commune and Signorie age to the Renaissance. A city hall, seat of the City Council of Florence but also Ducal Palace, in that it was the residence of Duke Cosimo I dei Medici and Eleanor of Toledo between 1540 and 1550. The Palace houses the famous Salone de’ Cinquecento, among the largest halls in Italy, where the High Council of Girolamo Savonarola’s Florentine Republic (made up of 500 members) would meet, not to mention the Italian Parliament at the time Florence was the Italian Capital, (1865-1871). |
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Piazza della RepubblicaAmong the possible settings for the many events in store at the Festival d’Europa there is also Piazza della Repubblica, the centre of the city since Roman times. The Colonna dell’Abbondanza is located right in Piazza della Repubblica. The square has a typically Italian Risorgimento style: when Florence was named Capital city of Italy, the area underwent radical changes. From a Medieval square and site of the city market, it was refurbished into a rectangular-perimeter XIX century piazza, laden with cafés that later on became a distinct part of the city’s history. During the big makeover Medieval towers and churches were irremediably knocked down. |
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Piazza della SignoriaTakes its name from the Landsknechts that camped here in 1527 on their way to Rome. The Lodge is situated in Piazza della Signoria, on the right of Palazzo Vecchio and right at the back of the neighbouring Uffizi. Built between 1376 and 1382 for public gatherings and ceremonies, it houses several outstanding statues, including Perseus holding the head of Medusa, Benvenuto Cellini’s recently restored extraordinary bronze masterpiece, and Giambologna’s Rape of the Sabine Women and Hercules beating the Centaur Nessus. |
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