Ceiling, Chiesa dell'Ordine di Santo Stefano
...of St. Stephen. Glorious, that is, until last century, since
the Grand-Duke Gian Gastone didn’t seem too interested in sea
enterprises. Frankly, he didn’t seem intereseted any enterprise
whatsoever, least of all the tedious troubles of government. And
to think that his forefathers cared so much for the fleet of St.
Stephen that could win such honour and triumph in bloody and epic
battles. How could we forget about the battle of Lepanto in 1571, the conquer of Prevesa and Bona (1605/1607), the battle of Argo
(1686) and the one on land at Negroponte (1688). Who knows whether
Francis Stephen of Lorraine, this new lord of the Grand-duchy
of Toscany will have any interest in the Order. But who knows
if he’ll be interested in our Tuscany at all, since he seems to
pay better attention to the business of the Empire pertaining
to his wife Maria Theresa of Habsburg.
As of now the fleet is reduced to three ships and only patrols the coasts of Tuscany and its islands. One wonders what would Cosimo, thanks to whose will this square was built, think of this or Ferdinand I who completed the project. It was in fact Ferdinand who had the statue of Cosimo with the fountain erected, who did the façade of the church of St. Stephen, the Palazzo del Consiglio dei Dodici, the church of San Rocco with its annexed palace. The other significant addition after his, was made not so long ago by Grand Duke Cosimo III who added two side wings to the church of the Knights, and Giovan Battista Foggini has completed its main altar only a short time ago. Cosimo III again, wanted in addition all the buildings in the square to belong to the Order, and therefore bought from the Commune the Palazzo dei Priori which has now been called del Consiglio dei Dodici. The Knights have their Councils here, besides the archives, the chancery and secretariat. The palace adjacent to San Rocco has been permanently leased as headquarters of the Collegio Puteano, founded by the archbishop Dal Pozzo, of the Counts of Ponderano in Piedmont, in 1604 to see to the studies of the young Piedmontese. A few years ago the clock that you can now see on the Palazzotto was moved from its original place, on the church belfry, for it kept stopping because of the damp.
As of now the fleet is reduced to three ships and only patrols the coasts of Tuscany and its islands. One wonders what would Cosimo, thanks to whose will this square was built, think of this or Ferdinand I who completed the project. It was in fact Ferdinand who had the statue of Cosimo with the fountain erected, who did the façade of the church of St. Stephen, the Palazzo del Consiglio dei Dodici, the church of San Rocco with its annexed palace. The other significant addition after his, was made not so long ago by Grand Duke Cosimo III who added two side wings to the church of the Knights, and Giovan Battista Foggini has completed its main altar only a short time ago. Cosimo III again, wanted in addition all the buildings in the square to belong to the Order, and therefore bought from the Commune the Palazzo dei Priori which has now been called del Consiglio dei Dodici. The Knights have their Councils here, besides the archives, the chancery and secretariat. The palace adjacent to San Rocco has been permanently leased as headquarters of the Collegio Puteano, founded by the archbishop Dal Pozzo, of the Counts of Ponderano in Piedmont, in 1604 to see to the studies of the young Piedmontese. A few years ago the clock that you can now see on the Palazzotto was moved from its original place, on the church belfry, for it kept stopping because of the damp.
