Loggia dei Lanzi

You are under the arches of the Loggia dei Lanzi, beside Palazzo Vecchio. It was built between 1376 and 1382 by Benci di Cione and Simone Talenti for the republic's public ceremonies: magistrates were sworn in and ambassadors received here.

1A soldiers' name

Its name comes from the Landsknechts, the German mercenaries of Cosimo I's guard, who were quartered here in the 16th century. Under the duchy the loggia lost its political role and became a showcase for sculptures that spoke of the new power.

2Perseus and the Sabines

The most famous statue is Benvenuto Cellini's Perseus, finished in 1554: the hero holds up the head of Medusa, with blood gushing in bronze from her neck. The message to Florentines was clear: this is how anyone who defied the Medici would end up. Cellini described the casting in his autobiography, claiming he had to throw his own pewter plates and dishes into the furnace to keep the metal from cooling.

Beside it, Giambologna's Rape of the Sabine Women (1583) is carved from a single block of marble and designed to be seen from every angle.

3The whole square

From here you can take in half the square: Ammannati's Fountain of Neptune, which Florentines nicknamed 'il Biancone', the big white one; Giambologna's equestrian statue of Cosimo I; and the copy of David at the palace door.

4What to look for

• The face on the back of Perseus's head: many see it as a self-portrait of Cellini.
• The two Medici lions on the steps: one is Roman, the other from the late 16th century.
• The Rape of the Sabine Women: walk around it and watch it change.