Palazzo Pretorio e Torre del Porcellino

Palazzo Pretorio and its Torre del Porcellino stand across Piazza dei Priori from Volterra’s town hall. The stone tower, among the city’s tallest, takes its name from a small animal figure on a bracket near the roof.

Why it matters

The tower existed by the second half of the twelfth century, and the palace became one of the first residences of Volterra’s podestà in the early thirteenth century. It is distinct from the Palazzo dei Priori opposite, which served as the town hall.

What to notice

The tower is built entirely of stone and has no visible ground-floor entrance; access was through an opening on the first floor. A narrow fourth-floor window once opened onto a wooden balcony. Near the roof, a projecting bracket supports the pig- or boar-like figure from which the tower gets its name.

Context and history

The building began as a medieval civic residence and later served judicial functions. Palazzo Pretorio remains in municipal use, with city cultural offices in the building.