VIA della Stufa
The tabernacles of florence
THE TABERNACLE
Tabernacle
Walking along Via della Stufa, just a few steps from the Basilica of San Lorenzo, you come upon one of the most prestigious palaces in this area of Florence: the Palazzo Lotteringhi della Stufa. Easily recognizable by the large loggia at its summit, articulated by six columns, and by the pietra serena coat of arms on its façade, the building bears witness to the power and history of the family that once inhabited it. On the palace’s side wall, discreet yet full of meaning, opens a refined tabernacle—silent guardian of centuries of urban life and devotion. The shrine is framed by an outer structure in pietra serena, crowned by a curved pediment and protected by a small roof, while a projecting ledge marks its lower edge. At its center stands an eighteenth-century wooden aedicule, functioning as a small shutter, which shelters a delicate polychrome stucco bas-relief dating to the late seventeenth century. The image is a refined copy of the celebrated Madonna of the Candelabra by Antonio Rossellino.
Bas-relief
The composition depicts the Madonna seated on a throne, wrapped in her traditional red mantle adorned here with a golden horizontal band, as she gently supports the Christ Child. Resting on a cushion placed upon his mother’s knees, the Child holds a small bird in his chubby hands. From either side of the throne emerge two candelabra—symbols of divine light and sacred presence—that give the work its name and enhance the spiritual atmosphere of the scene. The original marble sculpture by Rossellino, created between the late 1460s and early 1470s and now lost, enjoyed extraordinary success. It was replicated in numerous versions, mainly in stucco but also in terracotta and papier-mâché, likely produced by artists connected to Rossellino’s workshop. Today, these copies are preserved in major museums around the world, attesting to the popularity and emotional power of this devotional image.
LA STRADA
Light, Charity, and Daily Life: The Tabernacle as a Community Landmark
The tabernacle itself was created at the end of the seventeenth century—apart from the later wooden aedicule—and was most likely commissioned by the Lotteringhi della Stufa family, owners of the palace. Below the shrine, an alms box remains visible, reminding passersby of the charitable function associated with the image. A finely decorated wrought-iron lantern once illuminated the tabernacle and the street corner, extending its protective presence into the night. The name of the family, and of the street itself, derives from the ancient public baths of San Lorenzo—the “stufe”—which the Lotteringhi owned and managed from the late thirteenth century. These baths, possibly fed by a branch of the Mugnone stream that once flowed through this part of the city, were divided into separate areas for men and women and played an important role in the everyday life of the neighborhood.
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A Street of Illustrious Names and Florentine Memories
Via della Stufa is also a place dense with memories and illustrious names. Here lived families such as the Pecori, the Minerbetti, the Guasconi, and the Del Giocondo. It was along this very street that Francesco del Giocondo and his wife Lisa Gherardini—Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa—made their home in 1503. Nearby lived and died Bartolomeo Ammannati, one of the great architects of sixteenth-century Florence.
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Historical details: Lorenzo Manzani
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