Palazzo dei Consoli
Rising from Piazza Grande on a dramatic corbelled platform, Palazzo dei Consoli is the defining silhouette of Gubbio — a 14th-century civic palace so perfectly preserved it looks freshly carved from pale Apennine limestone. Inside, the Museo Civico houses the Eugubine Tablets, seven bronze slabs from the 2nd–1st century BC that represent the most important surviving document of the ancient Umbrian
The Building Itself
Designed by Gattapone and begun in 1332, the palace's single soaring façade with its Gothic biforate windows dominates every photograph of Gubbio — climb the external staircase and you feel like you're stepping into a film set that happens to be entirely real.
The vast Salone dell'Arengo on the piano nobile was where the medieval city council met; today it hosts temporary exhibitions and gives you a sense of the sheer civic ambition of a town that was once a major Umbrian power.
The Eugubine Tablets
The seven bronze tablets — dating from roughly 300–100 BC — are inscribed in both Umbrian and Latin script and describe elaborate religious rituals performed by the priestly college of Gubbio; they are the Rosetta Stone of ancient Italic languages.
Displayed in a dedicated room with bilingual explanations, they reward even a brief stop: few artefacts in all of central Italy connect you so directly to pre-Roman civilisation.
Practical Visit Tips
The palazzo shares its square with the Loggia dei Tiratori, a 14th-century wool-stretching arcade; arrive early morning when the light rakes across the stone and the piazza is almost empty.
A combined ticket with the Museo Diocesano is available and worth taking if you have a few hours — the cathedral is a two-minute walk uphill.
More of Gubbio
Discover where to stay, what to do and the best deals for your trip.
Explore Gubbio →
