Palazzo dei Vicari

The Palazzo dei Vicari dominates Scarperia's main square with a battlemented tower and heraldic facades. The fortified civic building became the residence of Florence's vicars and later the setting for the town's knife-making museum.

Why it matters

The palace records the relationship between Scarperia and Florentine government. Its coats of arms and decorated rooms preserve the memory of magistrates who exercised civil and criminal authority over the surrounding territory.

What to notice

Stone and glazed terracotta heraldry cover the exterior, including work associated with the Della Robbia and Buglioni workshops. The tower clock has a maiolica face by the Chini family. A courtyard loggia, well and Marzocco lion accompany the interior sequence. The chapel contains a Madonna and Child with saints commissioned in 1501, while painted grotesques and imitation hangings enrich the council room.

Context and history

Florence founded Scarperia in 1306 after destroying the Ubaldini stronghold of Montaccianico. The palace developed during the fourteenth century and became the seat of the vicar in the fifteenth. Earthquakes and restorations altered its appearance, including work on the battlements in 1932–1937. The building remained the town hall until 1999, leaving a long record of civic use within its walls.