_Lung’Arno Guicciardini. No. 1._
A love-story, ending in a happy marriage, is symbolized in the quaint
ornamentation of the palace. Bernardo Vettori, surnamed “il Biondo”
(the fair-haired) died, leaving his widow Ginevra with one daughter,
heiress to a large fortune. Piero Salviati married the young widow and
induced her to affiance little Maddalena to his own son by a former
marriage, but before Maddalena was of marriageable age her intended
husband was killed in battle. In summer, like most Florentines, the
Salviati went to their villa which was near to one owned by young
Lodovico Capponi. He fell passionately in love with the golden-haired
Maddalena, and she with him. Her step-father opposed the marriage as
he wanted to keep her fortune in his own family, and he had influence
enough at court to induce Duke Cosimo I. to forbid it. In spite of her
mother’s entreaties Maddalena was put into a convent and every effort
was made to provoke her lover, whose fiery temper was well known,
into committing some act of violence. Ginevra at last succeeded in
interesting the Duchess Eleonora in her behalf, who asked Maddalena to
stay at the Pitti palace for a few days. Instead of days she remained
months and, by order of the Duke, Lodovico Capponi’s name was always
mentioned with contempt and contumely, while Sigismondo de’ Rossi, a
favourite of Cosimo, was lauded to the skies. Lodovico, thus separated
from Maddalena, determined that at any rate he would see her from afar
and took a house belonging to the Gianfigliazzi at Santa Trinita, from
the windows of which he could see the court pass over the bridge.
The Florentines took such interest in the lovers that a crowd always
assembled to watch the stolen glances they exchanged.
The Duchess was touched by the unhappiness and constancy of Maddalena,
and it is supposed that it was by her suggestion that one morning at
daylight an old woman appeared at Capponi’s bedside and bade him go
at once to the palace and fetch Maddalena, and to prepare everything
for the marriage. “In twenty-four hours,” writes an old chronicler,
“Lodovico, among other magnificent things, caused an artist to paint
a splendid and large shield with his arms and those of Maddalena,
surrounded with olive branches and the word OPTATA, a motto of his own
invention much praised for its brevity and its meaning; she being a
Vettori, and peace, symbolized by the olive, following on the victory
gained by her after war.” The wedding was a gay one and the house
not being large enough Piazza Santa Trinita was used as a ball-room.
“Comfits fell thick as hail in spring, and wine flowed like water.” The
triumph of true love was very popular among the nobles, who feared the
Duke would interfere in other marriages had he succeeded in preventing
this one.
The lovers went to live in the old Vettori palace and amused themselves
by decorating it in charming and symbolical fashion. Above the two
large windows was inscribed LODOVICUS CAPPONIUS, to show that he was
now the master of the palace and of its mistress, while the olive
with the word OPTATA served as a decoration to the capitals of the
pilasters, which bore at their base the Capponi arms on one side, the
Vettori on the other. The motto OPTATA and the olive branches appeared
also on the ornamented frieze under the first-floor windows, while on
the smaller windows, in lieu of the ornaments generally used, were the
arms of the two families.[44]
The name of the architect is unknown, but Bernardo Buontalenti, a
friend of Capponi’s, did other work for him, so he may have aided in
carrying out this memorial of faithful love; although as Signor Iodico
Del Badia remarks, nothing in the façade recalls his style.[45] In the
large saloon there is a stone fire-place, decorated with the arms, the
motto and the olive branches, and the whole room is finely frescoed by
Bernardo Poccetti with episodes from the lives of the Capponi family.
Lodovico died in 1614, and by the marriage of his grandson’s daughter,
Cassandro Capponi, the palace went to the Riccardi who sold it in 1803.
Since then it has changed hands several times, and the last owner,
Count Leonetti, sold it to M. de Witte.