Palazzo del Podestà, Medieval palace in Piazza Cavour, Rimini, Italy

Palazzo del Podestà is a medieval government building on Piazza Cavour with distinctive Gothic arches across its ground level facade. The upper floors feature smaller windows topped with crenellations that define the structure's medieval character.

Construction of this building began in 1334 as Rimini's main seat of government and power. The central arch served as the stage for public punishments, reflecting the judicial authority exercised from within its walls.

Since 2020 the palace and the adjoining Palazzo dell'Arengo have housed Rimini's museum of contemporary art. The hanging rope once fixed to the central Gothic arch belongs to the building's judicial past, when sentences were carried out in front of the crowd on Piazza Cavour.

The building sits in the center of Piazza Cavour, easily accessible on foot from the city center and main train station. Interior access depends on the museum's opening hours, so it's best to check ahead before planning your visit.

The rope for hanging kings hung from the central of the three Gothic arches on the ground floor, a detail visitors can still pick out on the facade. The palace was built in 1334 as the seat of Rimini's lords and was substantially altered in the 16th century. Since 2020 it has housed a museum of contemporary art together with the neighbouring Palazzo dell'Arengo.