The Mannelli Tower (Torre dei Mannelli) is a unique piece of Florentine history. In ancient times, there were four watchtowers at the corners of Ponte Vecchio; this is the only one that remains intact.
The tower is famous for a dispute that took place in the 16th century. Grand Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici wanted to build the Vasari Corridor, an elevated passageway to connect Palazzo Pitti to Palazzo Vecchio. The original project called for the corridor to pass directly through the tower.
However, the Mannelli family strongly opposed the plan and refused to allow their home to be demolished or altered. Defying the power of the Medici was very rare and dangerous, but the Mannelli family did not back down.
As a result, the architect Giorgio Vasari was forced to change his plans. Instead of passing through the tower, he built the corridor all the way around it, supporting it with large stone brackets. Even today, looking at Ponte Vecchio, you can clearly see how the corridor “embraces” the tower—a lasting testimony to the resistance of the Mannelli family.
