_Via Condotta_
Before the building of the Palazzo de’ Signori in 1292 the Priors met
in the Cerchi palace in Via del Garbo, now divided into many houses.
Only vestiges of their towers, and of their once famous loggia, can
still be traced at the corner of Via de’ Cerchi and Via de’ Cimatori.
Piero Monaldi writes in his manuscript history of the ancient family
of the Cerchi that they came from Acone, “of which place they were
lords and also of Ripozzano. In Florence they owned towers, a loggia
and sumptuous palaces, which were destroyed during the civil strife
and discord. A noble race they were, rich and powerful in the city,
with many retainers, munificent and lordly in the country side. But
fate, enemy of their felicity, divided their house in the time of Pope
Boniface VIII. Some became heads of the White party whilst others
remained of the Black, so that they were undone and many of their
records were lost wherein were mentioned numerous honourable lords.
But the fame of Vieri de’ Cerchi remains, one of the greatest knights
of his day and Prince of the White party. When called to Rome by Pope
Boniface to try and pacify the said parties he went thither with many
men at arms, all his own followers, which rather alarmed the Pope.
There were also Niccolò Gentile and Borrigiano and all were knights of
the Golden Spur.”[26] Vieri de’ Cerchi was the great antagonist of
Corso Donati, head of the Black party, and “Florence,” writes Giovanni
Villani, “was kept in such turmoil and danger by their enmity, that the
city was often in an uproar, and every one was under arms.”
The palace came into the possession of the Bandini family, and it is
said that the details of the Pazzi conspiracy were arranged here in
the time of Bernardo Bandini [1478], and that his descendant Giovanni
betrayed Florence to the Imperialists by signals from the top of the
tower in 1530.