Palazzo Pretorio (Museo Civico)

Certaldo's Palazzo Pretorio is a civic museum within a medieval palace that served as the seat of Florentine vicars in the Valdelsa.

Why it matters

From 1415 to 1784, a vicar appointed from Florence administered justice across the Valdelsa and Val di Pesa from this palace. The building's architecture, heraldry and preserved court spaces record the region's political relationship with Florence.

What to notice

The facade displays coats of arms left by generations of vicars, including glazed terracotta and stone works. Inside, frescoes and sinopias from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries survive alongside the court, chapel, archive and former prison rooms. Archaeological material includes Etruscan and Roman finds and medieval ceramics from Semifonte.

Context and history

The palace was built in the late twelfth century on the site of the Alberti counts' residence. It became the vicars' seat in 1415 and remained so until the office was suppressed in 1784. The commune acquired the building in 1890 and completed Neo-Medieval restoration by 1895. It now preserves the history of Certaldo and the administration of the surrounding territory.