Loggia del Capitano

The Loggia del Capitano stands beside the Palazzo Pretorio on Sovana's main square. Its two arches and the sculpted arms of Cosimo I de' Medici, dated 1570, preserve a visible record of Florentine rule in the town.

Why it matters

Sovana passed from Sienese to Florentine control in the sixteenth century. The loggia's Medici coat of arms marks that change in authority and forms part of a civic ensemble with the Palazzo Pretorio and its gallery of officials' arms.

What to notice

The loggia is a compact, open stone structure with two arches resting on a central pillar. Its sculpted shield and inscription date it to 1570. Its position beside the Palazzo Pretorio connects it closely to the neighbouring civic architecture.

Context and history

The name Loggia del Capitano refers to the office of the outside official who administered justice. The loggia's Medici emblem belongs to the period when Sovana was incorporated into the Florentine state. Together with the coats of arms on the palace across the square, it records the sequence of administrations that governed the town.