The spectacular Michelozzo Courtyard in Palazzo Vecchio

Entering Palazzo Vecchio from the door that overlooks Piazza della Signoria on the side of the Loggia dei Lanzi, you will find yourself directly in Michelozzo's Courtyard, designed by him in 1453. Stuccos, paintings, grotesques, coats of arms and statues contribute to making the space spectacular, leaving all visitors in awe.
The rich Mannerist-style decoration was created following a project by Giorgio Vasari a few years later, in 1565, on the occasion of the wedding between Francesco I de' Medici and Giovanna of Austria. In fact, this was the starting point for the wedding ceremony, as demonstrates the Latin inscription hanging on the east wall of the courtyard, which welcomes the bride, sister of Emperor Maximilian II.
In the lunettes around the portico, are reproduced the insignia of the churches and guilds of the arts and crafts of Florence. In honor of Giovanna, the views of the cities that at the time were part of the Austrian empire, were painted with fresco-secco by Bastiano Veronese, Giovanni Lombardi, Cesare Baglioni and Turino di Piemonte: Prague, Passago (Passau), Gratz (Graz ), Stein, Closterneburg (Klosterneuburg), Vienna, Oeniponte (Innsbruck), Ebersdorf, Konstanz (Constance), Neustadt, Freyburg (Frigurgo), Possonia (Bratislau), Krems-Stein, Brisach and Hall (Ala).
Above each view is the coat of arms and the German name of the corresponding city.

The magnificent white and gold stucco decoration of the nine columns was created by Pier Paolo Mincio of Forlì: plant motifs, cherubs holding banners, masks and Medici emblems (capricorn and ram) make this decoration perhaps the most characteristic element of the courtyard.
The cross vaults of the portico are embellished with grotesque motifs created by Marco da Faenza.

In the center of the courtyard, was placed originally a well which was then replaced by a porphyry fountain designed by Giorgio Vasari, culminating in the bronze statue of the Putto with Dolphin created by Andrea del Verrocchio in 1470. The work, which was inspired by the models of Greco-Roman art, had been commissioned for a fountain in the garden of the Medici villa in Careggi, and then placed here in 1557 to replace the famous bronze of Donatello's David (1440) which was in the center of the courtyard. A little fun fact: at the time, the dolphin was still a little-known animal, few people had seen it in real life, so artists tended to represent it by drawing its image from their own imagination. That is why Verrocchio's work simply shows it as a large fish with a disproportionately large head and a thin tail.
The Putto with Dolphin was then replaced by a copy in 1959, while the original is kept in Palazzo Vecchio in the Giunone Terrace in the Elements Quarter.
This spectacular, richly decorated courtyard can be admired for free. A must see for everyone visiting Florence.