▁its ▁op ul ence : ▁ 5 0 0 ▁guests ▁were ▁se ated ▁on ▁a ▁da is ▁which ▁occupied ▁the ▁log gia ▁and ▁the ▁whole ▁of ▁the ▁pia zza ▁and ▁the ▁street ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁Pal azzo ▁R uc ella i . ▁ ▁Giovanni ▁di ▁Paolo ▁was ▁the ▁effective ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁R uc ella i ▁family . ▁He ▁served ▁as ▁Prior ▁in ▁ 1 4 6 3 ▁and ▁as ▁Gon fal oni ere ▁di ▁Gi ust izia ▁in ▁ 1 4 7 5 . ▁ ▁Pat ron age ▁Giovanni ▁di ▁Paolo ▁was ▁an ▁important ▁patron ▁of ▁the ▁arts , ▁matched ▁only ▁by ▁Cos imo ▁de ' ▁Med ici ▁in ▁fif teenth - century ▁Florence . ▁He ▁commission ed ▁the ▁building ▁of ▁the ▁Pal azzo ▁R uc ella i , ▁designed ▁by ▁Leon ▁Batt ista ▁Al ber ti , ▁and ▁the ▁Log gia ▁R uc ella i . ▁He ▁built ▁a ▁villa ▁at ▁Qu ar ac chi ▁on ▁the ▁road ▁from ▁Florence ▁to ▁P isto ia . ▁His ▁most ▁notable ▁don ation , ▁the ▁mar ble ▁fa ç ade ▁by ▁Al ber ti ▁for ▁Santa ▁Maria ▁Nov ella , ▁was ▁but ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁family ' s ▁comm issions ▁of ▁public ▁art . ▁For ▁the ▁Pal azzo ▁R uc ella i ▁he ▁commission ed ▁works ▁from ▁ ▁Andrea ▁del ▁Cast ag no , ▁Des ider io ▁da ▁S ett ign ano , ▁Fil ipp o ▁Li ppi , ▁Pier o ▁Pol la iu olo , ▁Paolo ▁U cc ello , ▁Ver roc chio