The work of patronage, but also of control and domination of the city, undertaken by the Vitelli dynasty between the 15th and 16th centuries, is clearly evident from the large number of buildings that bear the name of this family and that embellish the streets of the city, almost as if to acknowledge and remind us of their past existence and role in the city. Therefore, when talking about Palazzo Vitelli in Città di Castello, it is always advisable to specify which of the many buildings bearing this name is being referenced. The following buildings are all a short distance from each other, each with its own peculiarities:
PALAZZO VITELLI IN PIAZZA
It is so defined because it stands in Piazza Matteotti, the centre of the city’s social life. The large building was probably started in 1487 by Camillo, Paolo and Vitellozzo Vitelli but it was completely finished just a few decades later by Alessandro, in 1546. The cornice is a later addition, built around the 18th century, when the palazzo had already become the property of the Bufalini family.
The very sober architectural style, compared to the other Palazzi Vitelli, recalls the forms of Tuscan buildings. The building was left unfinished and is austere in its form and shapes, perhaps because it had to perform a specific function: that of warehouse and stables. The inner courtyard is in fact bordered by another building known as Palazzo Vitelli dell’Abbondanza, which in reality is the original nucleus of the entire complex, used as a warehouse for grain, hence the name ‘abbondanza’ (abundance). The stables, built above the basement, were barrel-vaulted and supported by massive pillars, while the top floor consisted of a large hall with walls bearing frescoes in the upper section, although they are difficult to decipher now due to damage and wear.
PALAZZO VITELLI A SAN GIACOMO
Located in Via dei Vitelli, the building is currently undergoing restoration and will be used to house the Municipal Library named after Giosuè Carducci. The majestic facade has beautiful sandstone windows, while the interior still preserves the courtyard’s colonnades, the loggia on the first floor, a coffered ceiling and frescoes on the walls. The building was built in the 16th century for Paola Rossi of San Secondo Parmense, wife of Vitello Vitelli who, after being widowed, married Alessandro, a cousin of her late husband, in 1528.
PALAZZO VITELLI A PORTA SANT’EGIDIO
The largest of the four buildings, building of this palazzo was started in 1540 by Paul II Vitelli (captain in the service of the Farnese family and Emperor Charles V), based perhaps on a design by Vasari in present day Piazza Garibaldi.
While retaining the original floorplan, the modern structure has undergone various changes due to earthquakes that have damaged several parts. The facade has a high portico with five arches, supported by pillars that were once columns, and is divided into three floors that are reminiscent of the Tuscan style. Inside, a monumental staircase leads to the large hall on the main floor, reduced in size due to the earthquake in 1686. The fresco decoration of the Hall, masterfully carried out by artists of the calibre of Fontana, Doceno and their assistants, depicts the achievements of the Vitelli family.
The palazzo overlooks an immense Italian-style garden with oak woods and a nymphaeum. It is bordered to the north-east by the ancient city walls and beautified by the “Palazzina”, an elegant, recently-restored loggia built around a medieval tower. It was decorated with frescoes by Fontana and depicts landscapes, festoons of fruit and flowers and mythological scenes.
PALAZZO VITELLI ALLA CANNONIERA
The imposing building owes its name to the cannon foundry (or depot) that previously occupied the site of the present building. It was built by Alessandro Vitelli in the Tuscan style between 1521 and 1545 on the occasion of his marriage to Paola Rossi di San Secondo Parmense, who was widowed in 1528 after the death of Vitello Vitelli, as shown on an inscription inside the residence. The beautiful, graphically-decorated facade was created by Doceno based on a design by Vasari and is accompanied by interior frescoed decoration, again by Doceno, in several rooms (the most famous being the ‘Studiolo’ (small study).
The entire complex is divided into five buildings that overlook an immense garden. Thanks to the work of the tireless antique dealer and restorer Elia Volpi, since 1912 the imposing building has housed the Pinacoteca Comunale gallery which includes, among others, works by Luca Signorelli (Martirio di S. Sebastiano – Martyrdom of St Sebastian), the only work by Raphael in the city (Gonfalone della SS. Trinità – Banner of the Holy Trinity) and a valuable terracotta artefact from the workshop of Ghirlandaio and the Della Robbia (Madonna col Bambino e sei Angeli – Madonna with Child and Six Angels).