The secret soul of Piazza Santissima Annunziata: from orphans to ghosts

In Florence, the “Ospedale degli Innocenti” (hospital of Innocents) is a place with a profound and moving history, whose mission began thanks to the Prato merchant Francesco Datini. In the early 1400s, his generous bequest of a thousand florins was donated for the care of the most vulnerable, giving rise to this institution dedicated exclusively to abandoned children. A symbol of the early Renaissance, the building overlooks Piazza Santissima Annunziata with its elegant portico from 1419, a masterpiece by Filippo Brunelleschi. Underscoring its purpose, the famous terracotta tondi by Andrea della Robbia depict swaddled babies.

The children were welcomed through the “Wheel of the Foundlings,” and often, along with a name written on a piece of paper, mothers would leave an object broken in half, in the hope of one day returning and recognizing their child. Many of these objects are now on display in the museum, which allows visitors to explore the environments in which the children were raised until they could become independent or be adopted. The hospital, supported primarily by the Silk Guild, continued its mission until 1875.

Its legacy lives on today in Italian surnames such as “Innocenti” or “Nocentini,” often born by the descendants of those children who found a home here.

At the center of the square stands Giambologna’s magnificent equestrian statue depicting Ferdinando I de’ Medici in a triumphal pose.

Few know that his pupil, Pietro Tacca, completed the work, adding a fascinating detail: on the rear base of the monument, there is a bas-relief depicting an orderly swarm of bees arranged concentrically around their queen bee. This is a typical allegory of the Medici family, symbolizing Florence. They are depicted as a hardworking and loyal people revolving around the power of the Grand Duchy.

Even today, Florentine children brought into the square are challenged to count them, but the truth is that it is nearly impossible, even for their parents.
Belief holds that whoever manages to count them all, without touching or marking them in any way, will be rewarded with great luck.

Standing in the center of the square and looking toward the Duomo, you’ll notice a beautiful palace on the right corner. Its history begins in the mid-16th century, when Jacopo Grifoni, secretary to the powerful Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici, decided to purchase the land to build a residence worthy of his power.

Great architects of the time, such as Baccio d’Agnolo and Bartolomeo Ammannati, worked on its construction, but the task was far from simple. The three-story building is distinguished by its distinctive exposed brickwork, which gives it a distinctive reddish hue. We recommend carefully examining the decorations featuring the symbols of Cosimo I, such as the Tortoise and the Capricorn, which symbolize the wisdom of calmly making decisions and the strength to carry them out.

The residence passed through the hands of several noble families, until it was finally acquired by the Budini Gattai family in the 19th century, from whom it takes its name and who are still its owners. With each change of ownership, the house was enlarged, modernized, or modified, but one detail has never changed.

It is said of a noblewoman, so in love with her husband who had gone to war that she waited for him every day of her life at the corner window on the first floor. Days and years passed, but her husband never returned, and the woman died waiting in vain. When, after her death, an attempt was made to close the window, a veritable chaos broke out in the room, with objects moving about. The tumult only subsided after the window was reopened. From that moment on, it is said that the window is never closed, and at least part of the shutter is left open, to allow the woman to continue waiting for her beloved.