_Via de’ Servi. No. 15._
Bastiano, son of Zanobi Ciaini, also called Montaguto or Montauto, from
his castle at Santa Maria a Montauto, made a large fortune in trade.
In 1540 he bought several houses in the Via de’ Servi, and summoned
Domenico, son of Baccio d’Agnolo (Baglioni), who Vasari declares to
have been an architect of no common merit, “besides carving most
excellently in wood,” to build him a palace. A brother inherited
it, who must have had losses as in 1572 the house was let to Messer
Raffaello de’ Medici, a knight of San Stefano, and four years later
was sold to Messer Giovanni Niccolini, who after his wife’s death was
created a Cardinal through the influence of the Medici.
Giovanni added to the palace, filled it with costly works of art,
and fitted up one room for his fine collection of coins. Beneath the
architraves of two doors on the ground floor, under the loggia, is
still to be seen his name, IOANNES NICOLINUS AUG. CARD. F. As Giovanni
Dosio was the architect employed by him to build the fine Niccolini
chapel in Santa Croce, it is probable that he also made the additions
to the palace. Filippo, his son, again enlarged it, and inscribed the
date, A.D. MDCLV. on the central arch of the gallery above the loggia.
About the same time the Grand Duke created him Marquess of Ponsacco and
Camugliano, with remainder to collateral relations in case he had no
children. In 1666 Lorenzo, a descendant of his great-uncle, inherited
the palace, and added to it, as is shown by the inscription above a
door in the courtyard, LAUREN. NICOLINI. PONTIS. SACCI. MARCHIO. He
bought some small houses and adjoining land to make a garden, and tied
up the palace and its contents upon his heirs male. But his son Filippo
left it to his sons in common, and they sold the old family palace
in 1824 to Count Demetrio Bouturlin, Privy Councillor and Chamberlain
to the Emperor of Russia, whose descendants still own it. In 1854 the
façade was plastered from the first floor upwards, and decorated in
_graffite_, and with paintings. During the few years that Florence
was the capital of Italy, Palazzo Bouturlin was the residence of the
British ambassador, Sir Henry Elliot.