| It is in fact this horse-shoe shaped | | | | basic rules which were to ensure that |
| palace, whose two wings stretch from | | | | the newly reconstructed areas of the |
| Palazzo Vecchio to the Arno, that | | | | building could in some way be recognized |
| actually creates the square itself; the | | | | from the original. Therefore a |
| porticoes on the western side open off | | | | zig-zagging fracture line divides the |
| into Via Lambertesca, a narrow street | | | | floor of the huge Assembly Hall on the |
| that leads right into the heart of the | | | | first floor, to delimit the area that |
| oldest part of the city, the mediaeval | | | | fell to the ground, and another line on |
| area that Vasari partly demolished to | | | | the facade, a vertical one this time, |
| make room for his new creation.It was | | | | divides the ancient decorated walls from |
| here that the mafia car-bomb exploded on | | | | the new. Two large canvases by the |
| the night of May 27th 1993, on the | | | | painter Bartolomeo Bimbi were |
| corner between Via Lambertesca and Via | | | | unfortunately irreparably damaged and |
| dei Georgofili, killing five people and | | | | could be replaced. This catastrophe, |
| causing damage to the artistic heritage | | | | however, led to some unexpected and |
| of Florence. The explosion seriously | | | | extraordinary results, like the |
| damaged the upper rooms of the Uffizi | | | | discovery of seven small rooms, which |
| and disembowelled the ancient house and | | | | were once part of the State Archives, |
| tower of the Pulci family beneath it, | | | | later walled up and forgotten and now |
| from 1932 the seat of the historic | | | | available for the use of Academy of the |
| Academy of the Georgofili, specialized | | | | Georgofili once more. Above all it |
| in agricultural studies and the | | | | revealed the existence of a well and |
| conservation of the territory since | | | | staircase system that leads up from the |
| 1753. The tremendous sight is still a | | | | cellars to the upper floors and which |
| vivid memory for all the rescuers who | | | | probably is the last trace of the house |
| first arrived on the scene after the | | | | that the Florentine land register of |
| explosion: this time the small palace of | | | | 1427 noted as being the property of |
| the Georgofili, which had survived so | | | | Jacopo di Francesco de' Pulci and father |
| many wars and floods, seemed really to | | | | of Luigi, a friend of Lorenzo Il |
| have suffered its death blow. One half | | | | Magnifico and author of the poem |
| of its facade (200 square metres) had | | | | "Morgante". The house and tower still |
| been completely destroyed, shattered in | | | | bear the name of the Pulci family even |
| the explosion, a huge pit, about ten | | | | today, in spite of the fact that the |
| metres deep, had opened up in the | | | | building appears to have passed to the |
| interior, while the whole of the south | | | | Gherardini family after 1433.The well |
| wall, which faced onto the Courtyard of | | | | and the staircase that winds around it |
| the Caldaie, was in danger of | | | | and reaches the top floor of the Uffizi |
| collapsing, because it had been shifted | | | | Gallery are now free of the walls and |
| 10 centimetres by the impact. The | | | | plaster that once hid them; the grey |
| attic-flat that had been created at the | | | | stone archivolt and steps have been |
| top of the tower in the early 20th | | | | restored in order to form a single and |
| century had crashed to the ground, | | | | harmonious unit with the various rooms |
| covering the bodies of the four people | | | | of the Academy. Apart from being an |
| who lived in it with rubble: the | | | | unexpected reward for all those who |
| caretaker of the Academy, her husband | | | | worked on restoring the building, this |
| and their two little daughters, one aged | | | | discovery is yet another demonstration |
| nine and the other only two months. The | | | | of Giorgio Vasari's skill in |
| fifth victim was a student who lived in | | | | construction, as he managed to |
| the house opposite, which was also | | | | incorporate the ancient tower of the |
| directly hit by the explosion.Florence | | | | Pulci family into the revolutionary |
| has always replied to barbaric acts such | | | | architecture of the Uffizi without |
| as this by immediately getting on with | | | | destroying it. |
| mending her wounds and rebuilding | | | | In fact the original project included |
| everything that has been damaged "as it | | | | plans to expropriate and demolish at |
| was and where it was". Once the huge | | | | least 43 houses and towers in order to |
| patrimony of books belonging to the | | | | build the new palace of the "Uffici" or |
| Academy (50.000 volumes plus 4.000 | | | | offices, but Cosimo de' Medici decided |
| essays from the archives of the | | | | that this would be far too expensive in |
| Georgofili) had been carried away to | | | | the long run and therefore the most of |
| safety and all the rubble removed, the | | | | the buildings were spared though they |
| walls that were still standing were | | | | were eventually incorporated into the |
| reinforced and the ones that had been | | | | new construction. The Tower of the Pulci |
| destroyed were reconstructed. | | | | and the results of this extraordinary |
| Traditional techniques were combined | | | | restoration work can be visited daily |
| with advanced technological solutions: | | | | during the hours in which the Academy of |
| the roof and bent tiles were made by | | | | the Georgofili is open to the public and |
| hand, the corbels and capitals carved by | | | | that is from Mondays to Fridays, from |
| Florentine craftsmen but use was also | | | | 3.00pm to 6.30pm.Alberto Scarsi is Chief |
| made of mortar injections, chains, steel | | | | Editor at : Your source for |
| plates and bolts. Great care was taken | | | | accommodations in Florence, Italy. |
| during restoration to keep to certain | | | | |