All Palaces in Umbria

Palazzo Soliano is a medieval palace in Orvieto, located in Piazza del Duomo, near the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. The palace, also known as Palazzo di Boniface VIII, because was built by the will of Pope Boniface VIII, houses the Emilio Greco Museum (Museo Emilio Greco) and the Opera del Duomo Museum – MODO (Museo dell’Opera del Duomo).   SHORT HISTORY Palazzo Soliano was built starting with 1297, at the behest of Pope Boniface VIII. The construction was interrupted in 1303, after the pope’s death. Starting with 1330, after a period of abandonment, the palace was used for the storage of materials for the construction site of the cathedral. In 1361, a fire caused serious damage to the palace. In 1493, on the occasion of the arrival in Orvieto of Pope Alexander VI, the structure was consolidated. During those times, the palio of Orvieto was held in Piazza del Duomo. In 1504, due to a large number of people who watched the palio from the terrace of Palazzo Soliano, the roof of the palace collapsed. Thirty years later, due to the risks of collapse, the entire structure was subjected to numerous modifications. Over the centuries, the palace underwent numerous Read more [...]

Palazzo del Popolo, or Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo, is an imposing palace in Orvieto, located in the homonymous square, Piazza del Popolo.   SHORT HISTORY Piazza del Popolo was built around 1250 as a setting for the future Palazzo del Popolo. The palace would welcome the Captain of the People (Capitano del Popolo), a political figure of the local administration in medieval Italy, established to balance the power and authority of the noble families. It is believed that the palace was built on the initiative of the Neri della Greca family, on a pre-existing papal palace of 1157. Around 1250, the area was cleared and the existing constructions were demolished, so that a proper seat for the Captain of the People could be built. Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo was completed in the early 14th century, but the building saw many modifications and expansions in the following decades. The strange bell tower was built in 1315, and the bell which is now located on Torre del Moro was placed inside. Among the main halls of the palace, there is the Hall of the Four Hundreds (Sala dei Quattrocento), which in 1596 was sold to the Faculty of Law, Theology Read more [...]

Palazzo Vescovile (Bishop’s Palace) is a palace in Perugia, located in Piazza IV Novembre, near Palazzo dei Priori, in the historical center of the city.   SHORT HISTORY On this site, between 1283 and 1292, Palazzo del Podesta was built. After it was damaged by fire in 1329, it was rebuilt. In 1414, Braccio Fortebracci made the palace his residence, and lived there until 1424, as Lord of Perugia. Fortebracci built the loggia located on the northern side of Piazza IV Novembre, which is now part of the Cathedral of San Lorenzo. Palazzo Vescovile was later used by the papal governors of Perugia. In 1534, when Ridolfo Baglioni conquered Perugia, Palazzo del Podesta was again set on fire. In the 16th century, Pope Pius IV allowed Cardinal Fulvio della Corgna to build two buildings on the site of the former Palazzo del Podesta – the episcopal seminary and the Bishop’s Palace. Later, between 1586 and 1591, Cardinal Antonio Maria Gallo made improvements to the palace.   ARCHITECTURE The palace incorporates a part of the old Palazzo del Podesta (the three arched Gothic windows on the right), remains from the 16th century, before the palace was set on fire.   HOW Read more [...]

Palazzo dei Priori is a Gothic palace in Perugia, located in Piazza IV Novembre, in the historical center of the city. Palazzo dei Priori houses today the Municipal Offices of Perugia and, on the top floors, the National Gallery of Umbria (Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria).   SHORT HISTORY Palazzo dei Priori was built in Gothic style between 1293 and 1443, a period divided into several construction phases. The irregularity of its facades is explained by the long course of construction, in which continuous additions and renovations were made. First, between 1293 and 1297, the palace for the Captain of the People (Capitano del Popolo) was built by Giacomo di Servadio and Giovanello di Benevento. Each of the two main floors of the palace comprised of a single large hall. The hall on the lower floor was originally known as the Council Hall (Sala del Consiglio), a hall used for meetings of the council which advised the Captain of the People. Later, the hall became known as the Hall of Notaries (Sala dei Notari). The hall on the second floor, known as Sala Podiani, belongs today to the National Gallery of Umbria. Between 1333 and 1337, there was the first enlargement of Read more [...]