Palazzo della Fraternita dei Laici

Palazzo della Fraternita dei Laici gives a distinctive Gothic and Renaissance frontage to Arezzo's Piazza Grande. The building connects the history of a lay charitable institution with sculpture, painting and an astronomical clock.

Why it matters

The Fraternita, founded in 1262, accumulated works through commissions, donations and bequests. Its palace illustrates how charitable activity and civic patronage could shape both a public square and an art collection.

What to notice

The lower Gothic register contrasts with Bernardo Rossellino's later work above. His Madonna della Misericordia group and Spinello Aretino's lunette fresco give the facade a devotional character. The astronomical clock, made by Felice da Fossato in 1552, includes an indication of the moon's phases. Paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints and furnishings broaden the palace's artistic history.

Context and history

Construction began in 1375 to designs by Baldino di Cino and Niccolò di Francesco. A bequest from Lazzaro Bracci supported its continuation, and Rossellino's work followed from 1433. The palace also served as a tribunal from 1786. Part of the historical collections passed to other civic institutions in 1935, while works retained by the Fraternita formed the nucleus of the palace museum opened in 2010.