Palazzo del Sedile, 16th century palace in Matera, Italy.

Palazzo del Sedile stands on Piazza del Sedile at the foot of the castrum walls, between Porta di Juso and the San Francesco height. Its 1779 Renaissance facade has two bell towers, one with a clock and one with a sundial, and statues of Saint Eustace and Saint Irene, at whose feet the Sassi are carved. Four cardinal virtues fill the niches.

The Sedile, also called Portico or Tocco, housed Matera's municipal parliament and first stood on the cathedral forecourt, while the chancellery occupied the house of Tuccio de Scalzonis and the Signori Moro. In 1575 the palace was moved to the foot of the castrum walls, between Porta di Juso and the San Francesco height, on Piazza Maggiore, taking over the former church of Sant'Eustachio. Its Renaissance facade was modernised in 1779, and in 1840 the council chamber was added.

Today the building houses a music conservatory that hosts regular performances in its auditorium space. This use brings contemporary cultural activity into the historic rooms and draws music enthusiasts and students.

The palace faces Piazza del Sedile, between Porta di Juso and the San Francesco rise, a short walk from the Sassi. Visitors enter through the large Renaissance arch; the entrance hall on the right holds the fresco of Charles III on horseback, and the vault above is painted with scenes of the Kingdom of Naples. Look up at the two flanking towers for the clock and the sundial.

The statues on the facade are not decorative: the four cardinal virtues in the niches tell passers-by what a good administrator should be, which is why the building is called a "talking palace". The figure of Prudence, bottom right, has a snake at her feet; Fortitude breaks a column; Temperance pours water into a cup of wine; Justice holds scales and a sword.