Piazza San Marco is currently the headquarters of the University of Florence, in the heart of the historical center. At the center of the square, you’ll find a monument dedicated to General Manfredo Fanti executed in bronze by Pio Fedi in 1873. The square is surrounded by large buildings like the Palazzina di Livia, attributed to Bernardo Fallani (1780). This building currently houses the Presidio Officers’ Club. On the opposite side of the square, there is the Academy of Fine Arts and the headquarters of the University of Florence. On the northern side of the piazza, you’ll find the Chiesa di San Marco and a wing of its convent. In 1437, Cosimo the Elder began the renovation and expansion of this structure under the direction of Michelozzo.