The Ground-Floor Gallery
Towards the mid-15th century, the Gallery had not yet been walled up; it was an open loggia used as a function room for important events, such as the wedding banquet of Clarice Orsini and Lorenzo the Magnificent, held in 1469. It was refurbished and embellished by the Riccardi, who turned it into a veritable antique and sculpture gallery enriched with fine stucco decorations created between 1691 and 1692 by Giovan Battista and Marco Andrea Ciceri.
Today, the Gallery is used for temporary exhibitions, which are also hosted in the premises next to it, including the praiseworthy space at the corner between Via Cavour (previously, Via Larga) and via Gori: before the early 16th century, when Pope Leo X had it walled up, it was a glorious open loggia that overlooked the city.