Palazzo dei Priori

Palazzo dei Priori is Volterra's medieval civic palace on the square of the same name. Its stone facade, heraldry and frescoed council chamber record the institutions and political changes of the city.

Why it matters

The palace gave the commune a monumental headquarters. Its later alterations and coats of arms show how civic architecture could also express the authority of outside governors.

What to notice

Mullioned windows and the tower distinguish the building's outline. The Canna Volterrana, a historic measure, is carved into the facade, connecting the palace with regulation of commerce. Heraldic plaques include glazed terracottas associated with the della Robbia workshop, while lions signify Florentine authority. The Council Hall contains a late-fourteenth-century Annunciation fresco.

Context and history

Construction began in 1208 and reached completion around the middle of the thirteenth century. After Florence's conquest of Volterra in 1472, the loggia and assembly structure before the palace were demolished and two entrances closed. The building's later civic role retained its connection with government, even as its fabric accumulated signs of the city's changed political circumstances.