Palazzo Comunale di Cortona
The Palazzo Comunale sits at the centre of Piazza della Repubblica on ground that has been the civic heart of Cortona since the Romans laid out their forum here, at the crossing of the cardo and decumano. That continuity is still legible in the stone: the medieval staircase rising to the portal, the Ghibelline battlements along the tower, the Florentine Marzocco lion placed on the Piazza Signorelli flank when Florence tightened its grip on the town in the latter half of the 16th century.
The building still functions as Cortona's town hall — mayor's office, municipal administration, the whole civic apparatus — which means it is a working building, not a museum. Exterior access is always open; the interior is another matter.
💛 What travellers fall for
People who return to Cortona tend to time a morning coffee in the piazza so they can watch the tower clock from the café chairs below. The Council Hall, with Cristofanello's stone fireplace and Dobici's 19th-century painted ceiling, opens for cultural events — worth checking with the tourist office before you arrive if the interior is the draw.
The story behind Palazzo Comunale di Cortona
Construction began in the 12th century on the site of Cortona's Roman forum, the original Romanesque structure already incorporating the exterior staircase that still leads to the main portal. Over the following centuries the building grew: a new wing was added on the Via Roma side, an arch was thrown across the street, and the civic tower — now one of the town's most recognisable profiles, with its battlemented crown and a clock dating to 1509 — was raised.
In 1896, architect Castellucci undertook a restoration that reshaped the building's appearance, a project he also applied to the Basilica di Santa Margherita. Inside, the Council Hall carries layers of these eras: a stone fireplace carved by the stoneworker Cristofanello in the 16th century, and paintings and decorations completed by the 19th-century artist Valentino Dobici, recently restored.
Good to know
Access to the exterior and staircase is free and unrestricted. The interior — including the Sala del Consiglio — is normally open only during events or by arrangement via the tourist office (Tel. 0575 637223). No admission fee has been confirmed. The palazzo is at Piazza della Repubblica 13, easily walkable from anywhere in Cortona's centre.
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What travellers say about Palazzo Comunale di Cortona
High on top of the city of Cortona and above the lovely Santa Margarita basilica sits the Comune di Cortona. If you're going by foot, it is a decent hike to get there. Like everything else in Cortona, it is up or down a hilly street. The price of admission is between five and eight Euros. I'm not sure when or what the difference is, probably related to an activity or an exhibit that might be there. I got there right before closing time (at 8pm I believe).
Originally an Umbrian city, it was conquered and enlarged by the Etruscans, who called it Curtun. During the 7th century BC, it joined the Etruscan League.[5] Cortona eventually became a Roman colony under the name Corito. The origin-legends and ancient names of Cortona are described by George Dennis.[6] In the final stages of the Gothic War (535–554), Cortona was sacked and destroyed. Cortona became a Ghibellinian city state in the 13th century, with its own currency. From 1325 to 1409, the Ranieri-Casali family successfully ruled the town. After being conquered by Ladislaus of Naples in 1409, Cortona was sold to the Medici in 1411. In 1737, the senior branch of the Medici line became extinct and Cortona came under the authority of the House of Lorraine. Following the Italian Wars of Independence, Tuscany—Cortona included—became part of the Kingdom of Italy.
Impressive building.
Great little Tuscan town
It often happens that a building turns to the passerby and invites them to observe its shape and architectural profile. Even in the case of Cortona's town hall in Piazza della Repubblica, the seat of the municipality, whose construction dates back to the Middle Ages, the passerby is instructed and encouraged to admire the pietra serena staircase, the façade with the bell tower above, and the clock that marks the time for the people of Cortona. There is no site more beautiful than one that needs no courting, and Cortona's town hall is located in the square, to be admired.
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