punto di interesse

Palazzo Vecchio

Palazzo storico

point of interest

Palazzo Vecchio

Palazzo storico

The amministrative heart of the medieval and renaissance San Gemini must was Palazzo Vecchio square, headquarter of Palazzo Pretorio, better known like Palazzo Vecchio.

The Palazzo Vecchio and the Torre Esperia of San Gemini

Symbol and ancient headquarters of the free Municipality of San Gemini and in gothic style, Palazzo Vecchio was built around the end of the XII century and hosted the government of the Potestà, becoming the symbol of the civic power of the city.

The facade with a big semicircular arch and the monumental staircase made in rock, which takes to the first floor of the structure, guards the coats of arms of Eugenio IV and of the Orsini family.

The palace is place between two other important structures:

the Torre Esperia, crowned by the paints built during the period of Santacroce in the XVIII century, which preserves, even now, the original bronze belt of 1318 made by the Maestro Stefano from Orvieto used for announce the imminent municipal meetings, or report any dangers – the tower which was used even for the prisons;
the Palazzo Zanassi of 1700.

The amministrative heart of the medieval and renaissance San Gemini must was Palazzo Vecchio square, headquarter of Palazzo Pretorio, better known like Palazzo Vecchio.

The Palazzo Vecchio and the Torre Esperia of San Gemini

The facade with a big semicircular arch and the monumental staircase made in rock, which takes to the first floor of the structure, guards the coats of arms of Eugenio IV and of the Orsini family.

The palace is place between two other important structures:

the Torre Esperia, crowned by the paints built during the period of Santacroce in the XVIII century, which preserves, even now, the original bronze belt of 1318 made by the Maestro Stefano from Orvieto used for announce the imminent municipal meetings, or report any dangers – the tower which was used even for the prisons;
the Palazzo Zanassi of 1700.

What see inside the Palace

All’interno, particolari sono i dipinti che rappresentano cicli di lavori rurali, come la vendemmia, la raccolta del ficus e la pigiatura dell’uva, e allusive scene di buon governo.

On the opposite wall is possible to see those who were the coats of arms of the Podestà , like that of Giovanni from Montenegro of 1482.

What see inside the Palace

All’interno, particolari sono i dipinti che rappresentano cicli di lavori rurali, come la vendemmia, la raccolta del ficus e la pigiatura dell’uva, e allusive scene di buon governo.

On the opposite wall is possible to see those who were the coats of arms of the Podestà , like that of Giovanni from Montenegro of 1482.

The clock of the Torre Esperia

Characteristic is the clock “to roman” because in six numbers, like that which was in the Torre dell’Orologio of Attigliano, adopted by the church at the end of the XIII century and then spread between the XVII and the XVIII century.

Had the function of indicating, with the sound of the bell, the ancient Italian hours: the misuration of the time started from the Ave Maria of the evening, just after the sunset and not from midnight.

The mechanism is working through a system of counterweights called “scale of the time”.

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Palazzo Vecchio

Piazza Palazzo Vecchio, 05029, San Gemini

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