In the heart of Florence, 150 m from Piazza del Duomo, prestigious property in a historic palazzo. The real estate unit (490 sqm), located at the junction between Via dei Servi and Via del Castellaccio, is laid over the ground floor and basement of the building. The ground floor is of particular note as it is home to a beautiful vault frescoed by painter Giorgio Vasari and his pupils in the 16th century.
The location of the palazzo is extremely convenient, with all services within walking distance in just a few minutes. The Santa Maria Novella train station is also not far away and offers fast train connections to all of Italy.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPERTY
The property (490 sqm – 5,272 sqft) is located on the ground and basement floors of Palazzo Sforza Almeni. The two floors of the property are connected by two internal staircases.
The current layout of the building provides on the ground floor, with access from Via del Castellaccio, various exhibition rooms and guest toilets. In the past, the possibility of converting two of the rooms into a tasting/restaurant area for guests was evaluated. Access to the ground floor can also be gained from the condominium hallway with a door on Via dei Servi.
On the basement floor, which once housed the palace's cellars, further exhibition rooms have been created to complete the route started on the floor above. In one corner of the floor, outside the museum exhibition route, are two large technical rooms for the building's systems.
The possibility of converting the property into a private home could be considered, subject to verification of feasibility with the competent authorities.

HISTORY, STATE AND FINISHES
The palazzo, dating back to the 16th century, is often attributed to the well-known architect Bartolomeo Ammannati, who built it on commission from Piero d’Antonio Taddei. Confiscated by the Medici, the building was donated to Sforza Almeni (Perugian-born, cupbearer of the Medici family) a few years later. The new owner commissioned works to embellish the palace, which were designed by Giorgio Vasari (1555) and later realised by the painter Cristoforo Gherardi (with the probable collaboration of Vasari himself).
Vasari himself described the palace in his work and was concerned about the possible loss of the external frescoes due to their exposure in the open air. Half a century later, the physician and literate Giovanni Cinelli Calvoli noted how the paintings had in fact deteriorated ('[...] but this one at a certain point here has received great injury from the inclemency of the air [...]'). Nowadays, the paintings on the façade are no longer visible. Almeni remained owner of the palazzo for over twenty years, before being killed by Cosimo de' Medici himself for revealing his relationship with Eleonora degli Albizi. The palace then passed from hand to hand, arriving in 1812 to the Frosini Matteucci and then to the Cuccoli-Fieschi. In 1902, the Incontri family restored the building and in 1926 further work was carried out on the damaged exterior. In 1933, the authorities allowed the opening of large doors onto Via del Castellaccio on condition that everything was harmonized with the existing architecture. In 1955, some walls in the courtyard were knocked down to restore the columns, and in recent times, in order to install the lift, the courtyard was partly covered and closed off towards the palace's entrance hall.

Most of the palace's external decorations have been lost over the centuries due to weathering, but on the ground floor, the so-called Volta delle Allegorie is perfectly preserved: the ornamental structure of the ceiling is attributed to Vasari and the individual frescoes follow his figurative conceptions. In particular, Vasari is entirely responsible for two frescoes (Accuracy and Faith) and his hand can be recognized in the figure of Diligence. In the decoration of the ceiling, it is evident the technique of Vasari's school, which was working on the façade of the palazzo and the interiors of Palazzo Vecchio in those same years.