Loggia dei Lanzi

Also known as the Loggia della Signoria, the Loggia dei Lanzi owes its name to the "Lanzichenecchi", or "Landsknechte", the German lancers stationed here as his guard by Cosimo I. Known too as the Loggia dell'Orcagna (after Orcagna, a major artist and its possible architect), this arcade on Florence's main square was built between 1376 and 1382 under the direction of Benci di Cione and Simone di Francesco Talenti, and it precisely counterpoints the Palazzio Vecchio.

The arcade, one of the finest examples of Florentine Gothic architecture, was used by the Republic for official ceremonies. This is where ambassadors and princes were received, Priors and Gonfaloniere installed. With the dissolution of the Republic the Loggia lost this