Palazzo dei Consoli, Gubbio

The Palazzo dei Consoli is the soaring symbol of Gubbio, a fortress-like Gothic civic palace of the early 14th century that dominates the town from its position above the artificial terrace of Piazza Grande. Begun around 1332 and often attributed to the architect Angelo da Orvieto, it rises in a single sheer cliff of pale stone topped by battlements and a slender bell tower, reached by a monumental fan of steps. Built to house the consuls who governed the medieval commune, it now contains the Museo Civico. The interior centres on the vast, barrel-vaulted Salone dell'Arengo on the ground floor, once the assembly hall, now displaying Roman and medieval stonework. The museum's most precious holdings are the Eugubine Tables, seven bronze tablets inscribed between roughly the 3rd and 1st centuries BC mostly in the ancient Umbrian language using an Etruscan-derived alphabet; recording the rituals of a priestly brotherhood, they are among the most important surviving documents of any of Italy's pre-Roman peoples. Upper floors hold a picture gallery, ceramics and a coin collection, and an open loggia gives a sweeping view over the rooftops of Gubbio and the plain below. A visit usually takes an hour to ninety minutes. The palace and its piazza are best appreciated in late morning, when light fills the square, and the climb up through the steep medieval streets is part of the experience. The Palazzo dei Consoli stands at the heart of Gubbio in north-eastern Umbria, an easy focus for exploring this well-preserved stone town.