Palazzo dei Pittori

Walking along the Mugnone, your eye is drawn to a large Pompeian-red building with tall windows. This is the Palazzo dei Pittori, also known as the Swertschkoff building, designed to house artists’ studios. Built in the second half of the nineteenth century to a design by Tito Bellini, it was conceived as a workplace for the community of foreign artists, and potentially Italian artists too, active in Florence during its five years as capital (1865–1871). Among the distinguished artists who worked here were Arnold Böcklin, Wladimir Swertschkoff, Domenico Trentacoste, Egidio Ferroni and many others. Recently restored, the Palazzo dei Pittori is subject to restrictions on the use of its interiors: they may be occupied only by people working in artistic professions, as is still the case today.