Sala dei Notari

The Sala dei Notari is a great civic hall within Perugia's Palazzo dei Priori. Its arches, painted walls and heraldry connect communal government with the later history of the notaries' guild.

Why it matters

The hall began as a space for the assemblies of the medieval commune. Its later association with the Arte dei Notai gave it the name by which it is known, preserving different phases of civic institutional life.

What to notice

Eight substantial arches give the rectangular room its structural rhythm. Painted stories and coats of arms cover the walls, including heraldry associated with captains of the people, podestà and Braccio Fortebraccio. Surviving medieval decoration is accompanied by extensive nineteenth-century restoration and repainting.

Context and history

The hall belongs to the earliest phase of the Palazzo dei Priori, developed in 1292–1294. The notaries' guild acquired its use after 1582. Later alterations changed the palace under papal government. Following Italian unification, restoration revived its medieval civic image; Matteo Tassi's work of 1885 contributed substantially to the painted appearance of the hall.