The Courtyards in Florentine Domestic Architecture of the Medieval and Renaissance Periods

This paper traces the evolution of courtyards in Florentine domestic architecture from the medieval through Renaissance periods, examining their transformation from simple service spaces into the architectural and social heart of patrician residences. Drawing on extensive archival sources, including notarial documents and property records, Belli demonstrates how the ambiguous Latin terminology (curia, curtis, and platea) reflects the fluid nature of these spaces, which originated variously from rear service areas of row houses, incorporated public alleys, or evolved from semi-public consortium squares controlled by powerful families. The thirteenth and 14th centuries witnessed irregular courtyards with limited porticos serving primarily utilitarian functions, while the 15th century brought dramatic changes toward symmetrical, porticoed spaces that became central to palace design and family life. Using exemplars like Palazzo Medici, the analysis reveals how courtyards functioned as transitional zones mediating between public and private spheres, hosting business transactions, family ceremonies, and seasonal living, ultimately embodying Leon Battista Alberti’s conception of the courtyard as the “heart of the house”—a domestic piazza synthesizing social customs, architectural innovation, and formal aspirations developed over three centuries of urban culture.