Via de' Tornabuoni in Florence
The fashion centre of the city is perfect place to go shopping
Via Tornabuoni is one of the most central streets in Florence, connecting Ponte Santa Trinita to piazza degli Antinori.
Considered the fashion centre of the city, the street takes its name from a famous Florentine family of merchants and politicians whose members included Lorenzo the Magnificent’s mother Lucrezia Tornabuoni.
In Antiquity, this is where the Roman walls were located, with Porta di Brancazio found where Palazzo Strozzi is today. During the era of the Grand Duchy, the area became a famous place for processions, parades and outdoor games, like horse racing, bracciale and football. Today the street is the place for luxury shopping, home to high-end boutiques and jewellers.
Lining the street are buildings like the Renaissance Palazzo Strozzi, commissioned by Filippo Strozzi, a merchant who belonged to a rival family of the Medici; the palace now houses an exhibition centre.
We can’t forget Palazzo Spini-Ferroni, home to the Museo Ferragamo, and Palazzo Tornabuoni, begun in the mid-15th century based on designs by Michelozzo and sold in the 1500s to the Corsi family. This is where the Italian opera was born, when Dafne, a libretto by Ottavio Rinuccini, premiered in 1594.
