Liberty “relics” in the heart of Florence

Before the big building boom in the 1960s, Florence counted numerous Liberty style buildings, some even near the historic center. Who could forget the large Garages Riuniti on Via Alamanni or the graceful Lavanderia Stireria Volpi on Viale De Amicis? Other illustrious victims of the “brick fever” were the Via Michelangelo villa of architect Giovanni Michelazzi, whose interior conserved frescoes by Galileo Chini; the buildings of Cinema Teatro Ristorante and Gioco della Pelota Alhambra, situated in the area where the daily newspaper La Nazione now has its offices.

Among the few Art Nouveau buildings that remained in the city after the war was the Villino Baroncelli whose square tower with two loggias is its primary characteristic. The ceramic decoration was designed by Galileo Chini. Another important Liberty building in the heart of Florence is a gallery house on Borgo Ognissanti which was built by architect Michelazzi. The Casa Galleria Vichi is a tall, narrow building characterized by stone and wrought iron decorations. The access door boasts a wrought iron gate that mirrors other decorative elements of the façade.