Palazzo dei Priori, Gubbio

Palace in Gubbio

Piazza Grande Gubbio
CC BY-SA 4.0 / Superchilum

The current seat of the Municipality, the Palazzo dei Priori (also known as Palazzo Pretorio or del Podestà), is located on the eastern side of Piazza della Signoria, directly opposite the renowned Palazzo dei Consoli.

Likely designed by M. Gattapone in 1349, the Palazzo dei Priori was originally intended to serve as the seat of the Podestà, the head of executive power, contrasting with the Palazzo dei Consoli, which functioned as the legislative seat. However, various factors, including economic challenges and the impact of the plague, prevented its completion. The unfinished nature of the building, halted abruptly in 1350, is evident in its facade facing the square, leaving it as a large, incomplete Gothic structure that nevertheless holds significant architectural value.

The construction of the palace features an exceptional design: a single central pillar supports robust arches that connect to the perimeter walls, bearing the load of the vaults and floors. Over time, the building underwent several modifications and expansions, including the addition of a brick structure on the left in the late 1600s, which was later connected to the original palace by a large external staircase in 1949. Following the 1997 earthquake, the entire building underwent extensive restoration and consolidation, completed in 2003.

Noteworthy in the Mayor’s Hall are two 17th-century canvases by F. Allegrini, part of the artist’s famous series of “Battles.” The palace also houses a rich library, established in 1666 by Bishop Alessandro Sperelli, and the Armanni archive, which contains numerous manuscripts and codices, including the History of Gubbio by Greffolino.

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

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Visiting Palazzo dei Priori, Gubbio

Address: Palazzo dei Priori, Piazza Grande, Gubbio, Province of Perugia, Italy

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