PALAZZO DEL CAPITANO DEL POPOLO

The building to the left of Torre del Popolo is Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo. The “Captain of the People”, elected by the local citizens, was entrusted with maintaining an armed guard, providing weapons to the people and keeping order during the political battles between the various factions. The building dates to the end of the 13th century, to Giotto’s times, but its current appearance differs in a number of ways from the one shown in the fresco: the beautiful, slender columns that adorned the windows are now gone, while the merlons you can see on the top are the result of slightly excessive restoration work carried out in the 20th century in an attempt to give the building a more medieval appearance.