We had the chance to see one of Florence’s hidden treasures today.  There’s an organisation in Italy, FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano), whose mission is to protect and restore art, monuments and parks in their original locations, each of which reflect milestones of Italian history and identity.  Each spring for two days, the organisation arranges visits to monuments which are otherwise inaccessible to the general public.  This year, 900 monuments throughout Italy are available to the public for these two days…..and one of them is in Florence:  The Palace of the Bank of Italy.  It’s a grand palazzo that sits behind the Duomo and to this day serves as a working bank for its clients.  It is, however, a spectacular architectural throwback to the period of grandeur when, for a brief period, Florence was the capital of Italy.

Grand Staircase, Bank of Italy, Florence, Italy

The architect, Antonio Cipolla, created this magnificent stairway which connects three stories of the palazzo.  The marble steps are ever so slightly graded so as to make ascending them effortless.  Photos were prohibited because of the important antiques and frescoes in the rooms, but I did manage to lean over and get one shot of this amazing stairwell.

Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour, First Prime Minister of Italy. Bank of Italy Lobby, Florence, Italy

The lobby is graced by a life-size marble sculpture of Camillo Benso, the Count of Cavour, who was the first Prime Minister of Italy.  He died of malaria in 1861 after only a few months in office.  I wonder if that was the beginning of short-term leadership periods in Italy?
By the way, seeing the bank’s brass plate logo on the way out I was reminded of a funny novel I read a few years ago……”Any Four Women Could Rob The Bank of Italy” by Ann Cornelisen.  It was a perfect Italian beach read.