Fortezza da Basso, Italy
About the venue
A masterpiece of the military Renaissance architecture, the Fortezza da Basso was planned by Antonio da Sangallo il Giovane and commissioned by Duke Alessandro de’ Medici, and it was built between 1534 and 1537. The Fortezza da Basso has always been the main venue of the exhibition center in Florence since 1967 and it is strategically located in the historic city centre.
The Fortezza da Basso has an overall surface of nearly 100.000 sq m, more than a half of which are covered, and it is an ideal place for exhibitions and congresses with a high number of participants, thanks to the possibility of building a plenary hall with 3,500 seats, as well as a perfect place to host official receptions and gala events.
This complex and prestigious environment combines charming and perfectly restored historic places (such as the Quartieri Monumentali - the Monumental Area - or the Polveriera) with modern pavilions, specifically built to increase the space availability, such as the Spadolini Pavilion, built on three floors (opened in 1977) and the more recently built Cavaniglia Pavilion (opened in 1996).
