Palazzo della Signoria

Palazzo della Signoria in Jesi is the Renaissance civic palace designed by Francesco di Giorgio Martini and built between 1486 and 1498. Its brick facades stand above the remains of earlier public buildings and the ancient Roman theatre.

Why it matters

The palace gave architectural form to the city's Renaissance government. Its later association with the Biblioteca Planettiana added a cultural chapter to the history of a building first created for civic magistrates.

What to notice

Stone-framed cross windows contrast with the brick walls. String courses divide the elevations, while small blind arches mark the crowning cornice. Heraldic shields project from the corners. The Salara entrance preserves a Renaissance portal, and the unfinished tower stump recalls a much taller feature of the former skyline.

Context and history

The palace reused foundations of the medieval Palazzo dei Priori and the Roman theatre. It became the seat of papal administration in 1586. A sixteenth-century tower fell in the earthquake of 1657; rebuilding begun in 1661 remained incomplete. The Planettiana library was founded in 1859, with its later name reflecting the Pianetti family's contribution of books and archival material.