In 1893, Palazzo Levi - designed by the architect Boccini and a symbolic building in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele - became the headquarters of Fondiaria, Florence's largest insurance company.
In the same year, Gilli moved closer to what was to become his home and obtained a licence to sell liquor. On 22 December, La Nazione headlines: Maison Gilli. In Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, in the elegant palazzo of the Chiari family, a splendid new shop has been opened selling patisseries, liqueurs and other fine goods. The shop window bears the inscription 'Pasticceria, Confettureria e Liquori'. Nothing is missing, points out La Nazione. And it is true.