Loggia dei Lanzi

loggia, Florence, Italy

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June 30, 2026

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The Loggia dei Lanzi is a historic open-air hall in Florence, Italy, located in the Piazza della Signoria. Construction began in 1376 and it was designed by Benci di Cione and Simone di Francesco. The loggia served as a public space and is now an open-air museum showcasing significant sculptures, including Benvenuto Cellini's Perseus with the Head of Medusa.12

A loggia, in general, is a room, hall, gallery, or porch that is open to the air on at least one side. This architectural feature evolved in the Mediterranean region for comfortable outdoor living and was also incorporated into villas and public squares during the Renaissance.1

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Western architecture
Early Renaissance in Italy (1401–95)
…Gothic building such as the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence was characterized by a large round arch instead of the usual Gothic pointed arch and preserved the simplicity and monumentality of Classical architecture. The Renaissance might have been expected to appear first in Rome, where there was the greatest quantity…
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…Gothic building such as the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence was characterized by a large round arch instead of the usual Gothic pointed arch and preserved the simplicity and monumentality of Classical architecture. The Renaissance might have been expected to appear first in Rome, where there was the greatest quantity…
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loggia
…public square, as in the Loggia dei Lanzi (begun 1376) in Florence by Benci di Cione and Simone di Francesco. The loggia was also an essential feature of a villa and often had outstanding decoration—e.g., the frescoes of Raphael in the Villa Farnesina loggia at Rome.
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…public square, as in the Loggia dei Lanzi (begun 1376) in Florence by Benci di Cione and Simone di Francesco. The loggia was also an essential feature of a villa and often had outstanding decoration—e.g., the frescoes of Raphael in the Villa Farnesina loggia at Rome.
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Florence
City layout
…della Signoria is the elegant Loggia dei Lanzi, built in the late 14th century; today it serves as an open-air museum for masterworks of sculpture, including Benvenuto Cellini’s Perseus with the Head of Medusa.
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…della Signoria is the elegant Loggia dei Lanzi, built in the late 14th century; today it serves as an open-air museum for masterworks of sculpture, including Benvenuto Cellini’s Perseus with the Head of Medusa.
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