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Town Hall of Nepi: The Renaissance Palace Designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger
In 1542 Antonio da Sangallo the Younger designed the Town Hall of Nepi, commissioned by Pier Luigi Farnese, lord of the city and son of Pope Paul III. The building stands in Piazza del Comune, in the heart of the historic centre, and is one of the finest examples of Renaissance civic architecture in Tuscia. Sangallo, already working in Nepi on the construction of the aqueduct, designed an austere two-storey palace with an internal arcaded courtyard.
Renaissance Architecture
The façade features smooth rustication with a central round-arched portal and stone-framed windows. The internal courtyard has an arcade on three sides with Tuscan columns and cross vaults. The piano nobile (main floor) features halls with coffered ceilings and monumental 16th-century fireplaces. A stone spiral staircase connects the two floors. The Farnese coat of arms, with six fleurs-de-lis, is carved above the main portal, and repeated in the courtyard.
The Palace Today
The Town Hall still serves as the seat of the Municipality of Nepi. The halls are accessible during office opening hours. On the ground floor is the Council Chamber, with 19th-century furnishings and portraits of the city's benefactors. The courtyard hosts cultural events and summer concerts. From the square one can reach the Cathedral and the Borgia Fortress in a few minutes, completing a triangle of historic architecture concentrated in the heart of the town.
