Palazzo dei Capitani del Popolo

In : Marche

At the heart of the city of Ascoli Piceno, overlooking the Piazza del Popolo stands Palazzo dei Capitani del Popolo, a building that mirrors the whole history of the town.
The excavations held in 1982 uncovered the ancient walls. It appeared, that the Palace of Captains is located on the place used for gathering by citizens of the ancient community of Piceni.

When Romans conquered Ascoli they built the forum, rebuilt again in early medieval centuries.
The present building was erected in 13th century as the consolidation of three small buildings to meet the needs of new comune and was described as ‘Palactium Communis et Populi‘.
The community was soon overtaken and the palace became residence of sovereigns of king of Naples, Carrara, Sforza family and of the Pope.
This was the uncertain time of the wars and rebels. In Christmas of 1535 some members of noble families from Ascoli, Guiderocchi, Malaspina and Parisani, barricaded in the building in the revolt agains the pope. The pope’s commissioner then set the fire that lasted two days damaging the entire construction.
Many of coats of arms of Ascoli families and other details were destroyed, some of them were incorporated into the new facade that received the new portal surmounted by the statue of Pope Paul III. The portal was finished in 1548 by Lazarro di Francesco. Several years earlier was the end of works on the new crenellated tower with clock commissioned by Giovani Martina da Fossato in 1543. After the fire also the interior of the palace went under thorough renovation. Architect Camillo Merlini constructed the unique space of Renaissance harmony with the new staircase and pillars of the inner courtyard. Palazzo dei Capitani became the seat of the Papal Governors until the end of 19th century.
At the beginning of 20th it changed the owners once again, for twenty years it became the headquarters of Mussolini’s Fascist Party and was called “Casa del Littorio”. They introduced they own concept of interior design, yet destroying the original constuction, especially in Sala dei Savi.
Today the building is used by town council governing in Sala della Ragione. Some other rooms are used by various institutions like Institute of Medieval Studies.
The palace is open for visitors, its courtyard hosts some temporary events. To see are Sala dei Savi and Sala della Ragione as well as its archaeological part, prior to an earlier phone arrangement.