Michelangelo had plans to make Loggia dei Lanzi bigger, but Duke Cosimo de' Medici was a tightwad.

Full disclosure, it's not like Cosimo had nothing bigger on his mind. His family had just recently returned to power from exile and were in the sole business of establishing one of the most important political dynasties in Renaissance Europe. One method toward this end was by flipping the Loggia della Signoria into the Loggia dei Lanzi, like we know it today.

This building was constructed in the late 14th century as a forum of sorts for the Florentine public and the republican government to mingle. A place to get together and just talk, about anything and everything. Not only that, but in an open air court that could protect at least the representatives from inclement weather. The century following construction of the Loggia della Signoria saw a swift shift in political power. The Medici banking clan easily assailed the financial world of the Tuscan Republic and were making a lot of friends with powerbrokers in Rome. Then, a botched execution attempt that only killed one of two Medici targets culminated in the murder of the assassins (the Pazzi family) and the Medicis' exile. When a Medici return established Cosimo as grand duke, one of the first things on his agenda was to flip the bird at anything republic. So, the Loggia della Signoria was used to house the Medici mercenaries: Swiss pikemen called Lanzi in Italian.

Now, the Lanzi is an open-air museum featuring kick-ass statues from Florence's extended Renaissance. Admission is free, like always, but the hours have changed. For hundreds of years, you could waltz in whenever, enjoying all the violent statuary from sunset to sunrise. But, because people are terrible, the city of Florence has reassessed the hours so the gallery's open from 8 AM - 7 PM. Pro-tip: Get there early or plan to stay late. Only 50 people are allowed in at a time between 11 AM and 5 PM, and each group only gets about 15 minutes with all the gory goodness.