The investigations undertaken between 2003-2005 over an area of circa 1000 m2 between Lungarno Galilei, Lungarno Fibonacci and Giardino Scotto, revealed the following stratigraphic sequence immediately inside the walls. In the imperial period a structure was built (unidentifiable) of which a patch of opus signinum floor circa 60 cm thick was found.

The thickness seemed to be linked to the need to isolate the structure from a very humid environment. The construction was probably demolished in the late medieval period, as indicated by the depth of the razing of the floor level, and abandoned when the area came to be surrounded by marshes that had formed close to the banks of the river Arno. At the end of the 11th century the church of Sant’Andrea e Vincenzo was built and a wider ranging urbanisation project began which aimed at reclaiming land towards the Arno. The excavation has only partially brought to light the first phases of the parish, which during the 13th century seemed to be linked to pottery production, as can be inferred by associating the archaeological data with the toponym Baractularia. In the first half of the 14th century this sector of the quarter was hit by heavy flooding. Rebuilding took place and, subsequently bell making took place here, as attested by the remains of a large metalworking atelier.

Production continued until the beginning of the 15th century, when, the Florentines built a fortified citadel on the site to defend the eastern part of the city Its construction took about thirty years (from 1440 to after 1470) and led to the demolition of the church of S. Andrea and the neighbouring metalworking structure. In 1495 the citadel was partially demolished by the rebelling Pisans.

Following the Florentine re-conquest, a new citadel was built under the direction of Giuliano da Sangallo (1509 – 1512), which retraced the layout of the preceding one. The part investigated by the excavation was the bastion della Cisterna which defended the bridge della Spina. During the 16th century the structure was modified, as attested by evidence of a building site. In the 17th century the building containing the inn and the casemate was partially reconstructed, whilst maintenance work on the internal road system continued until the second half of the 18th century. In 1781 the fortress was demilitarized and, following an order from the grand duke, demolition of the bastion began. Between 1785 and 1787 the first two floors were built of the building later to be known as Palazzo Scotto, a vast residential complex facing onto the river Arno.

To the east of the palazzo, at the beginning of the 19th century, a lower building was constructed over the passageway leading to the garden behind. At the beginning of the 1930s the construction of the Lungarno Fibonacci led to the demolition of the building with the passageway and the creation of a wing containing a staircase. In 1936 the palazzo was transformed into the Regia Questura and was partially destroyed by bombing in 1943. Following the end of the war it was partially reclaimed and the part of the building that was still standing was converted into a pharmaceutical factory at the end of the 1980s.