Plaque located in Via Lamberti, near house numbers 18r and 20r.
Coat of arms: Lamberti family
Paradiso – Canto XVI – vv 110 – 111
” . . . . . . . . . . E LE PALLE D’ORO
FIORIAN FIORENZA IN TVTT’I SVOI GRAN FATTI”
“…and the golden orbs (of the Lamberti coat of arms) honored and shone throughout Florence in all its great endeavors.”
“The ‘golden balls’ (palle d’oro) refer to the famous heraldic coat of arms of the Lamberti family. Their shield was characterized by a golden field with red orbs (or ‘balls’).
‘FIORIAN FIORENZA’: This is a figurative verb meaning ‘they honored,’ ‘they shone,’ or ‘they were an ornament for Florence.’ The Lamberti family, with its wealth and power, brought prestige to the city during its great actions, undertakings, and moments of glory.
In summary: Cacciaguida is stating that, in his time, the coat of arms (and thus the power and prestige) of the Lamberti family adorned and glorified Florence in all its most important endeavors. However, this family also fell into ruin due to its pride.”
