Palazzo Savelli, Medieval palace in Albano Laziale, Italy.
Palazzo Savelli is a four-story building on Corso Giacomo Matteotti that blends medieval walls with Roman structural elements integrated into its foundations. The building incorporates sections of the ancient Porta Pretoria, demonstrating how different periods of construction were layered together.
This structure began as a fortified medieval building and was later converted to an administrative headquarters when the Church acquired the town in 1699. This transformation marked the shift from military to civilian purposes in the town's development.
The palace's name comes from the Savelli family, who held a chapel of iuspatronatus behind the church of San Pietro Apostolo, which the building absorbed over the centuries. Since 1870 the seat of Albano's municipal government, it keeps the Sala Nobile as the council chamber, where the town council still meets.
The building sits in the center of Albano Laziale and is easily reached on foot when walking through the old town. The main facade is clearly visible from the street, but note that interior spaces are typically not open to the public unless special access events occur.
The palace absorbed the ruins of the Roman Porta Pretoria and the church of San Pietro Apostolo, behind which stood the Savelli family's private chapel of iuspatronatus. Part of the complex was demolished for the Appian Way widening works of 1789–1791 and 1854.
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