Palazzo Pretorio

Sulmona's Palazzo Pretorio records two different civic buildings: the late medieval palace of the governor and magistrates, and its neo-Renaissance replacement on Via Mazara. Their changing forms reflect the city's administrative history.

Why it matters

The palace built in 1490 provided a dedicated setting for civic government, whose assemblies had previously used large churches. Its position beside San Francesco della Scarpa, the aqueduct and the Fontana del Vecchio placed it within a distinctive monumental quarter.

What to notice

The replacement building has three levels, with smooth rustication below, stone balconies and a projecting cornice. The earlier palace had a very different appearance: an old drawing records two pointed portico arches, the city's S.M.P.E. arms and a stone statue of Ovid above the arcade. That statue was preserved and moved to the Santissima Annunziata complex.

Context and history

The original palace is associated with the civic works of captain Polidoro Tiberti. Demolition was decided in 1863 after earthquake damage, beginning a lengthy transformation that continued into the early twentieth century. The later palace replaced the medieval building's architectural language with the regular windows, balconies and rusticated stonework of a new civic residence.