Palazzo Comunale di Norcia

Why it matters

Norcia's Palazzo Comunale has served as the seat of city government since the Middle Ages. The building was damaged in the 2016 earthquakes and underwent a major structural restoration that included seismic isolation. Its history connects the civic institutions of the town with repeated reconstruction in the Valnerina.

What to notice

The facade, redesigned by Domenico Mollajoli of Perugia and completed in 1876, combines round-topped windows with pilaster strips of white and pink stone, a cornice and attic storey. A broad staircase is flanked by marble lions. The portal at the base of the civic tower carries the inscription “Civium unitas rem publicam facit” — the unity of citizens makes the state.

Context and history

The monumental complex dates to the thirteenth century and has been rebuilt after major earthquakes. In 1708, following an eighteenth-century earthquake, the papal architect Sebastiano Cipriani assessed the damage; his rebuilding scheme was completed in 1736. The nineteenth-century refit by Mollajoli gave the palace its present exterior. The ground-floor portico once housed the city archive, the office supervising food supplies and the office collecting market dues. The former palace theatre later developed into the separate Teatro Civico.