Photo: Francesco Bini, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Historic villa / palace
Palazzo del Circolo dell'Unione
Palazzo
- Within the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Historic Centre of Florence”
At a glance
- Architects
- Giorgio Vasari, Bartolomeo Ammannati
- Commissioned by
- Jacopo Corsi
- Coordinates
- 43°46′15″ N, 11°15′05″ E
History and description
The Palazzo del Circolo dell'Unione, also once known across the centuries as the Palazzo Corsi, Montauto, or della Commenda da Castiglione, is a late-Renaissance-style palace located on Via Tornabuoni #7 in central Florence, region of Tuscany, Italy. In 2015, it still houses the Circolo society, and houses among other enterprises, a boutique hotel.
History
The property changed hands frequently between the 15th and mid-16th centuries. In 1559, the property, now one palace, was bought for 720 florins by the banker and merchant Simone di Jacopo Corsi, who commissioned a design to which Giorgio Vasari, Giambologna, and Ammannati contributed.
The Corsi owned the palace until 1780, when it became the property of a corporation of Commenda of the Order of St Stephen of Castiglione. In 1790, it passed to Gherardi Uguccioni, who commissioned some refurbishment by Giulio Mannaioni. The building was passed on to two brothers, Marquis of the Barbolani family of Montauto, married to Uguccioni women.
In 1853, the palace became the home of a high-class fraternity/club called the Circolo dell'Unione. The club purchased the building in 1920 and still has offices at the site.
Art and architecture
In the 16th century, the palace was known for it facade fresco decoration by Domenico di Francesco Schiena and Giovanni Fiammingo. The portal is surmounted by a bust of Francesco I de' Medici (1577), attributed to Giambologna. On the vault of the hallway are allegories with the four continents and grotteschi painted by followers of Vasari.
At the end of the 18th century, the salons overlooking the street were decorated by Tommaso Gherardini, Fortini Agostino, Luigi Lorenzi, Pietro della Nave, Giuseppe Nobili and Domenico Fabbroni, but these murals were moved to other properties.
Further interior refurbishments, in an exotic, likely oriental, style, in the Club space occurred in the late 19th century under the guidance of prince Ferdinando Strozzi. Some monochrome frescoes were uncovered in mid-twentieth-century renovations. A chapel in the palace was erected to honor associates fallen in war.
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «Palazzo del Circolo dell'Unione».
People
Events and people from Wikidata (CC0).
Photos
Getting there
Firenze Santa Maria NovellaTrain, nearest
800 m as the crow flies
Palazzo del Circolo dell'Unione
Aeroporto Firenze Amerigo Vespucci5.8 km
Distances are as the crow flies, not walking or driving.
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Nearby
See on the mapMore historic villas and palaces in Tuscany
- Free 1st Sunday
- UNESCO
- Free 1st Sunday
- UNESCO
- Free 1st Sunday
- Free 1st Sunday
Frequently asked questions
Where is Palazzo del Circolo dell'Unione?
Palazzo del Circolo dell'Unione is in Florence, in the province of Firenze (Tuscany), Italy. GPS coordinates: 43.77090, 11.25130.
What else is there to see near Palazzo del Circolo dell'Unione?
Nearby you’ll find: Palazzo Gherardi Uguccioni (0 m away), Palazzo Altoviti-Sangalletti (0 m away), Palazzo Strozzi del Poeta (0 m away).
Sources and licences
Text. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Data. Wikidata (CC0); opening hours and contacts OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Photos. Wikimedia Commons, author and licence on every image.
Credits for the 9 photos
- Via de' Tornabuoni 7, Palazzo della Commenda di Castiglione, 02 — Francesco Bini, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Palazzo del Circolo dell'Unione 11 — sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Palazzo del Circolo dell'Unione, busto — Sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Palazzo del circolo dell'unione, grottesche nell'androne — sailko, CC BY 2.5
- Via de' Tornabuoni 7, Palazzo della Commenda di Castiglione, 01 — Francesco Bini, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Via de' Tornabuoni 7, Palazzo della Commenda di Castiglione, androne, 01 — Francesco Bini, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Via de' Tornabuoni 7, Palazzo della Commenda di Castiglione, androne, grottesche di scuola vasariana, 1560-70 ca. 01 — Francesco Bini, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Via de' Tornabuoni 7, Palazzo della Commenda di Castiglione, androne, grottesche di scuola vasariana, 1560-70 ca., eremita davanti al fuoco campestre — Francesco Bini, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Via de' Tornabuoni 7, Palazzo della Commenda di Castiglione, androne, grottesche di scuola vasariana, 1560-70 ca., postumi del vino (puer mingens) — Francesco Bini, CC BY-SA 4.0
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences