Palace of Podestà in Serravalle Pistoiese
An ancient building in the heart of the medieval village
The Palace of Podestà in Serravalle Pistoiese overlooks Piazza Santo Stefano, in front of the church. The building was erected in the 16th century when, under the Medici domination, Serravalle was transformed from a place of clashes between Pistoia, Lucca and Florentine troops to a quiet inhabited area.
It was Cosimo I de' Medici who established the Podestà building here, part of the Command of Pistoia and whose Podestà divided the office between Serravalle and Larciano. The institution remained virtually unchanged until 1838, when the Lorraine family, Grand Dukes of Tuscany, incorporated the village into the civil jurisdiction of Pistoia.
Having become a private residence over time, the Palace of Podestà has a simple structure and still retains 16th-century features, such as the portal crowned with ashlar blocks. On the façade are the noble coats of arms related to the office of the Podestà.
To the side we find the Praetorian Palace, the ancient seat of the civic magistracies, documented from the end of the 14th century. On the back are the ancient prisons, now the seat of the Municipal Historical Archives.
