Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo, Gothic civic palace in Orvieto, Italy

The Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo is a civic palace on Piazza del Popolo, built around 1280 over the remains of an earlier papal palace. It has a large arched loggia, a monumental entrance staircase, a terrace facing the square, and the great Sala dei '400 inside.

The palace was built around 1280, when Orvieto's government added the new office of Capitano del Popolo alongside the consuls and the Podestà. Construction is attributed to the Neri della Greca family and rose on the remains of an earlier papal palace built a century before. In the late 1290s the Podestà and the city's Seven Lords resided in the Palazzo del Popolo. It later housed the Monte di Pietà and hosted university courses in law, theology and logic.

The name comes from the Capitano del Popolo, a magistracy created in Orvieto's government around 1280 alongside the consuls and the Podestà. In the late 1290s the Podestà and the city's Seven Lords resided in the Palazzo del Popolo. The building later housed the Monte di Pietà, a Franciscan-origin financial institution, and university courses in law, theology and logic were taught here.

The palace is located in Orvieto's old town and is easily reached on foot, especially from Piazza del Duomo. Visitors should check ahead about opening times and current events, since the spaces are now used for conferences and exhibitions.

Beneath the palace lie ancient Etruscan foundations, where you can see old stone blocks stacked with an engraved letter A carved into them. This hidden archaeological layer shows how the site was rebuilt over centuries, with different civilizations layered on top of one another.