Palazzo Comunale (Town Hall), San Gimignano

The Town Hall (Palazzo Comunale) has housed the civil government of the comune since the 13th century. It is located in the Cathedral Square (Piazza del Duomo), next to the Collegiate Church, in the heart of medieval San Gimignano. It was built on the remains of another building in the late 1290s and further enlarged in the 14th century.

The new building became the New Palace of the Mayor and Town Hall, replacing the Old Palace (Palazzo Vecchio del Podesta). The design architect is thought to be the famous Florentine sculptor Arnolfo di Cambio. The facade has three levels of arched windows. The upper part of the frontage is brick, and the lower part is of stone.

The battlements on the roof were added in the 19th century by architect Giuseppe Partini. The Civic Museum of San Gimignano is located on the upper floors. The courtyard, dating from 1323, has a cistern, frescoes and sculpted coats of arms. An arcaded staircase leads to the museum.

The Council Hall (Sala del Consiglio) is also called Dante Hall (Sala di Dante). A fresco in the room by Lippo Memmi shows the enthroned Virgin surrounded by saints and angels. In a smaller room a staircase leads to the top of the Big Tower (Torre Grossa).

The Picture Gallery (Pinocoteca) is on the second floor. It contains frescoes and paintings by Medieval and Renaissance masters, Gothic altarpieces and crucifixes. The Mayors' apartments (Camera Dei Podesta) has frescoes of matrimonial scenes.