The Palazzo Rucellai is described in a 15th Century text by Giovan Battista Alberti as ‘De re aedificatoria’. It was erected in the square of the same name where a loggia with three wide arches was built for Giovanni di Paolo Rucellai, the same person for whom Alberti built the façade of Santa Maria Novella. Construction started in 1455 and the loggia erected between 1463 and 1466. Until a few years ago it was the site of the Archivio Alinari and on the first floor there was the Alinari Museum of Photography, which was transferred to Piazza Alinari.
