An old view of Florence on a postcard of the Piazza della Verzaia, showing the medieval walls that still surrounded Florence. The photo would have had to be made before c. 1865, for when Florence was the Capital of Italy (1865-1871), the city walls were demolished.
You can find great info on Florence’s walls here: http://www.firenze-oltrarno.net/english/arte/mura.php
Today’s Excelsior Hotel in Florence looks like this
It was originally named the Grand Hotel de la Ville, seen here in an old postcard from the late 19th-century.
The location of the palazzo which has housed hotels with several names, has always been prime real estate in beautiful Firenze.
From the book by Clara Louise Dentler: 
Where Greenough lived, worked, or exhibited in Florence:
Firenze. Loggia dell’Orcagna. Cart. Inv. nel 1910.
A proposito di tranvia, 1891 inaugurazione della tratta Firenze -San Casciano. La tranvia fu principalmente voluta da Emanuele Orazio Fenzi, banchiere ed esponente di una famiglia con interessi ne campo ferroviario, e da Sidney Sonnino, uomo politico rappresentante in parlamento nel collegio del Chiant.
A picture of the 1891 inauguration of the Florence-San Casciano tram-way. The tram was built primarily thanks to Emanuele Orazio Fenzi, banker and from a family with railway interests, and Sidney Sonnino, representative in parliament in the Chianti college.
Nonostante le macerie, la vita continua. Despite the rubble, live goes on.
Via Por Santa Maria – fine anni ’40 – con qualche palazzo ancora da ricostruire
Passeggiando di festa alle Cascine, inizio 900.
Piazza della Signoria in the 1950s
Panorama da San Miniato, quanto gli alberi erano ancora bassi e si poteva osservare meglio il panorama. View of Florence from San Miniato, when the trees were still low and you could better see the panorama.
Giardini della Fortezza. Famiglia in posa per una foto ricordo. Anno 1910. Gardens of the Fortezza di Basso, a family posing for a picture in 1910.
Lo struscio sul Ponte Vecchio. Strolling on the Ponte Vecchio.
Borgo Ognissanti, negozio Sale e Tabacchi del 1910.
get back, lauretta! 
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