Not far from the Cathedral, overlooking Piazza Gabriotti, stands one of the most beautiful and important Palazzi in Umbria. The Palazzo dei Priori (or ‘Comunale’) was built between 1322 and 1338 by the architect Angelo da Orvieto, as evidenced by a weathered and almost illegible inscription on the entrance lintel. In the same period, the architect was engaged in the construction of two other important buildings: the Palazzo dei Consoli in Gubbio and Palazzo del Podestà in Città di Castello.
Nowadays, Palazzo dei Priori is the Town Hall and the 16th-century staircase leads to the ‘Sala del Consiglio comunale’ with its fragments of frescoes and ancient Roman epigraphs.
The City’s coat of arms is carved on the lunette of the main door and the precious rustic ashlar facade recalls the elegant Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. Unfortunately, the work was never completed and is still unfinished today, without a bell tower, which is, however, substituted by the nearby Torre Civica.
Also called Torre del Vescovo due to its position close to the bishop’s residence, the Torre di Città di Castello dates back to the 14th century and is the true emblem of the city. Numerous coats of arms are still visible on the facade, as are traces of the small roof that protected the fresco depicting “Madonna col bambino tra I Santi Paolo e Girolamo” (Madonna and Child between Saints Paul and Jerome) by Luca Signorelli. Created in 1474, the fresco suffered damage on numerous occasions due to the weather and earthquakes, so it was definitively removed in 1940 and preserved (only in part) in the Pinacoteca Comunale. In 1937, the Tower was even equipped with the first public clock and today it still provides the perfect place to enjoy a breath-taking view of the city and the surrounding area. From the top, one can admire the entire historic city centre, Montesca hill and the entire Tiber valley.