Palazzo Vescovile, Episcopal palace in Rieti, Italy.

The Palazzo Vescovile stands beside Rieti Cathedral, its pale rough-textured facade facing Piazza Mariano Vittori. The ground floor has three round-headed arches with dark metal gates, above which a corbel band supports an open gallery of three bays divided by dark pillars, with two stone columns behind. A circular window sits in the gable, and a small red-and-white sign hangs at the right edge.

The building was constructed in the 1280s as a residence for bishops who also needed to host important church visitors. The structure was designed by architect Maestro Andrea and shows how important Rieti was as a religious center during that era.

The palace is also called Palazzo Papale because popes stayed in Rieti in the 12th and 13th centuries. In 1926 Bishop Massimo Rinaldi had a statue of Saint Francis placed in the square for the 700th anniversary of the saint's death; the sculptor was Cristo Giordano Nicoletti. The ground-floor vaults now host exhibitions.

The ground-floor vaults are entered from the facade portico or from two side doors on Via Cintia; they serve as a vestibule, with a gate leading to a small inner courtyard and a staircase up to the first floor. The vaults are used for exhibitions, so access can be limited when a display is being installed.

The fountain against the cathedral wall reuses a ribbed Roman sarcophagus as its basin, with a 12th-century relief of a griffin set above it. The palace's covered gallery rests on two stone columns of Roman origin flanking a central pillar.