Palazzo della Corgna - Città della Pieve en - Palazzo della Corgna - Città della Pieve en

View of the main facade of Palazzo della Corgna, characterized by elegant relief decorations in pietra serena that enhance the historic building.

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Palazzo della Corgna in Città della Pieve

Palazzo della Corgna is certainly the most interesting and sumptuous among the noble residences of Città della Pieve.

The palace was built in the center of the town, right in front of the Cathedral, symbolizing the political and economic fortunes of the family. Construction began around 1555, under the direction of the Perugian architect Galeazzo Alessi, commissioned by Ascanio della Corgna. The condottiero, who would later distinguish himself for his courage and valor in the famous Battle of Lepanto in 1571, had been appointed Perpetual Governor of the city by Pope Julius III in 1550 (Ascanio was his nephew, the son of his sister Giacoma Ciocchi del Monte). In the same year, the pope had also granted the Della Corgna family lordship over Castiglione del Lago and Chiusi; Ascanio had begun work on a magnificent residence to be built in Castiglione del Lago, replacing the hunting lodge that had belonged to the Baglioni family. This work too was entrusted to Galeazzo Alessi, a personal friend of Ascanio and his teacher in architecture. After all, Alessi was one of the most celebrated architects of the time, having completed important works in Genoa, Milan, and Bologna. The beautiful palace in Città della Pieve was thus the family’s second residence.

The building remained the property of the Della Corgna family until 1571, the year of Ascanio’s death; however, the works were never completed due to the high costs of construction. In 1643, the people of Città della Pieve rebelled against the Della Corgna lordship, submitting directly to the Pontifical Curia. The palace was then requisitioned by the Holy See and later purchased by the noble Roman family of the Amidei. In 1793, the property passed to the Mazzuoli family, who carried out several interventions, including the beautiful Venetian-style floors in the Sala Rossa (Red Room) and the Sala Grande (Grand Hall) on the first floor. In 1975, the palace was acquired by the city’s municipal administration and was restored both structurally and decoratively.

The inner courtyard of the palace, with an ancient stone well in the center. The ground floor windows overlook the courtyard, creating an intimate and evocative atmosphere.

Palace's inner courtyard

View from the courtyard looking upwards, with the well in the foreground. The windows of the upper floors overlook the courtyard, creating a harmonious overall view.

Palace's inner façades

Frescoes that adorn the ceilings of the palace’s rooms, with intricate details that tell stories and artistic scenes, typical of the decorative style of the period.

Palace frescoes

The construction consists of three structures arranged around a central courtyard in the Vignolesque style (modeled after the forms of the constructions by Jacopo Vignola, the most important Mannerist architect active in Rome at the time). The building material used is pietra serena, typical of the Trasimeno area, which gives the buildings a specific, almost delicate and picturesque character. Inside, the vaults of the halls and those of the monumental staircases of the palace are decorated with Mannerist frescoes featuring mythological scenes and grotesque decorations. On the ground floor, the vaults were frescoed by Niccolò Circignani, known as Pomarancio, around 1580, with grotesques and the Virtù Cardinali e Teologali (Cardinal and Theological Virtues), and in the Sala del Governatore (Governor’s Hall), with the beautiful fresco of the Concerto delle Muse (Concert of the Muses). The first floor houses paintings by Salvio Savini from 1580, including the famous Convivio degli dei (Banquet of the Gods). Currently, this floor of the palace hosts the Museum of Natural History and the Territory of Città della Pieve and the “Francesco Melosio” Municipal Library. The museum features an interesting collection of fossils and minerals, a xylotheque, and a spermatheque. The library boasts a collection of over 48,000 volumes and houses a fine Fondo Antico (historical collection). At its entrance, it greets visitors with a true curiosity: an Egyptian obelisk from the 5th century BC! This surprising monument was found in the locality of Poggio Cavaliere.

Useful information and accessibility

Useful information:

E-mail: cittadellapieve@sistemamuseo.it

Phone: 0578 298840

The phone number and e-mail refer to the Info Point of Città della Pieve, located in Piazza Matteotti, where you can request information and make reservations. It is necessary to contact the Info Point in advance, both for individual visits and for guided tours. Admission to the palace is free for people with disabilities.

How to reach the property:

The Palace is located in the historic center in a restricted traffic area. Even on traffic-restricted days, it can be reached by car for those with a special permit. A parking space reserved for people with disabilities, equipped with a special permit, is located about 12 meters from the entrance. The reserved parking space, intended for car entry and exit, has a slope of 5%. The connecting route between the parking and the museum is uphill with a slight slope of about 3%. Access to the Palace features a sloping path with a local stone surface extending for about 4 meters with a slope of approximately 7%, leading to the entrance door.

Moving around the facility:

The building has only one entrance, which also serves as the exit. The entrance is level, with a door width of more than 75 cm. The Palace has three levels, of which the first two (ground floor and first floor) are open to the public, while the second floor is occupied by municipal offices. The ground floor has a non-slip but uneven stone flooring. After entering the main door, you arrive at an internal courtyard, from which you can access various areas of the Palace: the Municipal Library, located on the ground floor, and the exhibition space, which occupies part of the ground floor and the entire first floor. From the entrance hall, a staircase connects all floors and is equipped with handrails on both sides. To reach the exhibition level on the first floor, an elevator is available. To use it, you must first reach the basement via a platform stairlift with a maximum capacity of 250 kg. The elevator only connects the basement, first, and second floors. The stairlift is located on the ground floor in a space to the right of the stairs, where you can also access the restrooms. To activate it, please contact the library staff. The stairlift can also be used independently by visitors and is equipped with a remote control; instructions for its use are posted on the wall nearby. The elevator has buttons with tactile and braille markers. The cabin is 144 cm wide and 111 cm deep. It has two doors: the long side opens to the basement (78 cm wide) facing the stairlift, and the short side (80 cm wide) opens to the first floor. Once on the first floor, after exiting the elevator, you can explore the three exhibition rooms, which host both temporary and permanent exhibitions. The three connecting thresholds between the rooms have a height of about 2 cm. The exit door in front of the elevator is 80 cm wide, while the other doors are wider, as they are double-leaf and always kept open.

Use of contents:

Throughout the structure, there are panels equipped with QR codes to access multimedia content that enhances the palace visit. These include audio descriptions and videos in LIS (Italian Sign Language).

Toilet features:

The toilet is also accessible for people with disabilities. The bathroom door is 90 cm wide, opens outward, and has a folding handrail to the left of the toilet. There is space for lateral or front access to the toilet.

Palazzo della Corgna - Città della Pieve