THE LEGEND OF THE REVERSED BALCONY

Florence, like all the medieval towns have a lot of legends about curious and strange events that have occurred in the past times.
Florence, like all the historical towns, has many charming and unknown little corners.
Sometimes those little corners are the subject of the ancient legends, like in the case of the legend of The Reversed Balcony, that show the irriverent character of the Florentines and the Tuscany people in general.
In the centre of Florence in via Borgo Ognissanti number 12 there is a balcony, at the first floor, that was built with all the classical elements, the supporting corbels, the volutes and the balustrades ... that are assembled all counter wise.
The building with this balcony is dated to the 16th century, and seems to have been built in that curious way on a request of the stable's builder, for a revenge with the Duke Alessandro De' Medici. Seems, in fact, that the Duke at the moment of the project proposal, rejected the project cause of the prominents of the balcony, at the time there was a law that forbade the contruction of balconies all over the city. It is said that the builder presented the project more times with only few things modified between one time to another, leaving the balcony almost unchanged, and it is said that at least the Duke wrote on one of his responses: "yes on the contrary". The builder, it is said, applying the answer of the Duke, ordered to his architect to build the balcony upside down. Finally when the Duke saw the balcony, it is said, would liked to punish the constructor .... but as Florentine .... probably .... apprecciated and approved his presence of mind ....