Home scopriSerravalle PistoiesePodestà Palace
Built in the 16th century, it became the seat of the Podestà. Now a private residence, it preserves 16th-century features, including a rusticated portal and historic coats of arms.
The Podestà Palace overlooks the open square in front of the Church of Santo Stefano. It was built in the first half of the 16th century, when, under Medici rule, Serravalle transformed into a peaceful settlement, no longer a battleground between Pistoiese, Lucchese, and Florentine troops. Cosimo I de’ Medici established the Podesteria of Serravalle, part of the Captaincy of Pistoia, with the Podestà dividing his duties between Serravalle and Larciano.
The building, now a private residence, has a simple structure but preserves 16th-century elements, such as the rusticated stone portal. The façade features noble coats of arms, linked to the office of the Podestà.
The Podesteria institution remained largely unchanged until 1838 when the Lorena Grand Dukes of Tuscany incorporated Serravalle into the civil jurisdiction of Pistoia.
To the side stands the Palazzo Pretorio, the former seat of civic magistrates, documented since the late 14th century. Today, it has a modern appearance, but some traces of its original structure remain on the eastern side.
