Palazzo dei Priori, Assisi

Palace in Assisi

Public Domain / Carlo Raso

The Palazzo dei Priori, the second building of the Municipal Palaces, has been documented as a magistracy in Assisi since 1320. In 1337, the priors of the gates acquired a house on the main square from the Florentine Company of the Bardi and constructed a vault that extends over the Palazzo del Popolo and crosses the road leading to the Moiano gate. Under the rule of Sixtus IV Della Rovere (1471-1484), the building underwent extensive reconstruction.

Originally, it comprised a vast underground space at the level of the Roman pavement, a ground floor loggia housing the Monte di Pietà founded in 1468, and an upper floor for the residence of the Priors.

A large plaque on the upper floor bears the coats of arms of Pope Paul III Farnese, Cardinals Ascanio Parisani and Alessandro Farnese, and Papal Governor Giovanni Andrea Cruciani. The Latin inscription below commemorates the city’s division into districts imposed by Giovanni Andrea Cruciani in 1542.

Following Assisi’s annexation into the Savoy state in September 1860, the ancient Palazzo dei Priori underwent a significant restoration, transforming it into the seat of municipal administration. The walls of the large entrance hall were adorned by Alessandro Venanzi (Perugia 1838 – Assisi 1916) in 1870 with views of twenty villas and castles of Assisi, along with coats of arms of prominent local families.

The Council Hall, decorated during Mayor Pietro Uber’s tenure (1906-1910), features wooden furnishings and frescoes on the ceiling by architect and painter Carlo Gino Venanzi (Assisi 1875-1964). The pavilion vault depicts allegorical figures of School, Charity, Work, and Hygiene, extolling Concord in an era of Justice and Freedom. The lunettes display medallions with the coat of arms of Assisi and portraits of illustrious figures, each identified by a cartouche, while the plumes feature the coats of arms of Umbria’s main cities.

The Palazzo dei Priori, Assisi appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Assisi!

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