Palazzo Vitelli a Sant'Egidio

Palazzo Vitelli a Sant'Egidio is a sixteenth-century residence in Città di Castello. Decorated rooms, a garden loggia and a nymphaeum reflect the ambitions of the Vitelli family.

Why it matters

The palace forms part of the network of Vitelli residences within the town. Its combination of architecture, painting and garden design represents the family's participation in Renaissance court culture.

What to notice

The garden side opens through a five-arched loggia. Its columns were incorporated into larger piers after earthquake damage in 1789. Painted decoration associated with Prospero Fontana includes mythological subjects, landscapes and ornamental festoons. The main hall celebrates the family's deeds, while painted and gilded coffered ceilings add to the interior. The garden extends towards the city walls and includes a nymphaeum and a smaller building incorporating a medieval tower.

Context and history

The palace was built around the middle of the sixteenth century for Paolo II Vitelli, a military commander associated with the Farnese and Charles V. Fire damaged the main hall in 1686, and the 1789 earthquake prompted further changes. These interventions altered a residence whose decoration preserves the memory of its patrons.