Palazzo Pubblico, San Marino, San Marino

The Palazzo Pubblico (Public Palace) is the town hall of the City of San Marino as well as its official Government Building. The building, where official State ceremonies take place, is the seat of the Republic's main institutional and administrative bodies: the Captains Regent, the Grand and General Council, the Council of XII, and the Congress of State.

The main section of the building is topped by battlements over a series of corbels. The clock tower above also features such an arrangement with battlements and corbels. The overall design is similar to the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, but on a much smaller scale.

Located on the site of an ancient building called the Domus Magna Comunis, the current building was designed by the Roman architect Francesco Azzurri and was built between 1884 and 1894. After a hundred years of existence, it was becoming unsafe in today's standards, so a complex restoration project was undergone. The intervention was completed by the internationally renowned architect Gae Aulenti on 30 September 1996.

References:

Wikipedia

Address

Contrada del Pianello 10, San Marino, San Marino

See all sites in San Marino

Details

Founded: 1884-1894
Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in San Marino

More Information

en.wikipedia.org
whc.unesco.org

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Basilica di San Marino (0 km)
Chiesa di San Francesco (0,2 km)
Guaita Tower (0,3 km)
Cesta Tower (0,6 km)
Montale Tower (0,9 km)

User Reviews

JOUNG HO KIM (2 years ago)
the best building to match the blue sky

李小乐 (2 years ago)
Very nice to see.

Devin Kanzler (2 years ago)
The guards are super nice and friendly. Opens at 9, so stop in any time after. It does close early, but the guards are still standing outside and will take pictures with you if you ask nicely. They have a gun given to them from queen Victoria on the one standing guard.

V C (3 years ago)
This is a beautiful and historic building next to one of the prettiest squares in the country/city. The building is also the official government building for the country but hardly anyone seems to visit it (though we were there on a Sunday). Use your TuttoSanMarino card to buy the five multi-museum pass for 7.50 euros (for this palace, two other museums and the two towers) - which is excellent value as just seeing the two towers costs 6.50 euros and this museum is 3 euros otherwise. Inside there is an entrance hall and up a flight of stairs there are two chambers: the main general council chamber with a huge painting of San Marino presumably. Another smaller chamber is next to it but you cannot go inside it. Also there is a bust of Abraham Lincoln and a quote he made about the country. All in all, it's worth a quick look but only takes about 10-15 minutes.

Qner Q (3 years ago)
Amazing palace with super nice view. Didnt visit inside, but worth to visit as it is the main square of San Marino.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Maciek Lulko

Historic Site of the week

Wroclaw Town Hall

The Old Town Hall of Wrocław is one of the main landmarks of the city. The Old Town Hall's long history reflects developments that have taken place in the city since its initial construction. The town hall serves the city of Wroclaw and is used for civic and cultural events such as concerts held in its Great Hall. In addition, it houses a museum and a basement restaurant.

The town hall was developed over a period of about 250 years, from the end of 13th century to the middle of 16th century. The structure and floor plan changed over this extended period in response to the changing needs of the city. The exact date of the initial construction is not known. However, between 1299 and 1301 a single-storey structure with cellars and a tower called the consistory was built. The oldest parts of the current building, the Burghers’ Hall and the lower floors of the tower, may date to this time. In these early days the primary purpose of the building was trade rather than civic administration activities.

Between 1328 and 1333 an upper storey was added to include the Council room and the Aldermen’s room. Expansion continued during the 14th century with the addition of extra rooms, most notably the Court room. The building became a key location for the city’s commercial and administrative functions.

The 15th and 16th centuries were times of prosperity for Wroclaw as was reflected in the rapid development of the building during that period. The construction program gathered momentum, particularly from 1470 to 1510, when several rooms were added. The Burghers’ Hall was re-vaulted to take on its current shape, and the upper story began to take shape with the development of the Great Hall and the addition of the Treasury and Little Treasury.

Further innovations during the 16th century included the addition of the city’s Coat of arms (1536), and the rebuilding of the upper part of the tower (1558–59). This was the final stage of the main building program. By 1560, the major features of today’s Stray Rates were established.

The second half of the 17th century was a period of decline for the city, and this decline was reflected in the Stray Rates. Perhaps by way of compensation, efforts were made to enrich the interior decorations of the hall. In 1741, Wroclaw became a part of Prussia, and the power of the City diminished. Much of the Stray Rates was allocated to administering justice.

During the 19th century there were two major changes. The courts moved to a separate building, and the Rates became the site of the city council and supporting functions. There was also a major program of renovation because the building had been neglected and was covered with creeping vines. The town hall now has several en-Gothic features including some sculptural decoration from this period.

In the early years of the 20th century improvements continued with various repair work and the addition of the Little Bear statue in 1902. During the 1930s, the official role of the Rates was reduced and it was converted into a museum. By the end of World War II Town Hall suffered minor damage, such as aerial bomb pierced the roof (but not exploded) and some sculptural elements were lost. Restoration work began in the 1950s following a period of research, and this conservation effort continued throughout the 20th century. It included refurbishment of the clock on the east facade.

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Palazzo Pubblico