Palazzo Sansedoni is a

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, a Germanic people **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Gothic alphabet, an alphabet used to write the Gothic language ** Gothic ( ...

style urban palace and tower, whose concave facade is situated facing the

Palazzo Pubblico The Palazzo Pubblico (town hall) is a historic palace in Siena, Tuscany, in central Italy. Located on the Piazza del Campo, it is one of the principal architectural landmarks of the city's historic center. Construction began in 1297 to serve ...

across the Piazza del Campo in the political center of the city of

Siena Siena ( , ; traditionally spelled Sienna in English; ) is a city in Tuscany, in central Italy, and the capital of the province of Siena. It is the twelfth most populated city in the region by number of inhabitants, with a population of 52,991 ...

, region of

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...

, Italy.

History

The palace was erected after the mid-13th century fusing nearly five private homes, and closing one of the access points to the Piazza. The contract and design for the building from 1340 still survives, which names the master masons Agostino di Giovanni, Agostino di Rosso and Cecco di Casino as responsible. Completion of the palace took nearly a century. In 1466, the owner, Tofo di Cecco Sansedoni, was requested to complete the Piazza facade, and fill in many of the window arches. The street side was satisfactorily completed. Some sources report the tower was truncated in order to not have it taller than the

Torre del Mangia The Torre del Mangia is a tower in Siena, in the Tuscany region of Italy. Built in 1338–1348, it is located in the Piazza del Campo, Siena's main Piazza, square, next to the Palazzo Pubblico (Town Hall). When built it was one of the tallest s ...

. The ground floor would have had many shops lining the street and campo. The palace underwent numerous alterations, and the palace as we see it in 2014 is due to a refurbishment in pure original gothic style by the architect

Ferdinando Ruggieri Ferdinando Ruggeri (Florence, 1691–1741) was an Italian architect, active in Florence during the late Baroque period. Ruggèri helped design the left facade of the Church of San Firenze (1715), the Palazzo Capponi in Florence, the Palazzo San ...

. The trifore mullioned windows now appear to be partially blocked by a lower brick wall. The interior has decorations (1645-1760) completed by Gian Domenico Ferretti and

Anton Domenico Gabbiani file:Antonio Domenico Gabbiani, pentecoste, 1705, 02.jpg, ''Pentecost'', 1705, San Giorgio alla Costa, Florence Anton Domenico Gabbiani (13 February 1652 – 22 November 1726) was an Italian painter and active in a late Baroque style. He worked ...

. Gabbiani painted a ''Glory of the Blessed Ambrogio Sansedoni'' for the private chapel. In 2015, the palace has offices and exhibition spaces for the Fondazione

Fondazione Monte dei Paschi di Siena Fondazione Monte dei Paschi di Siena (FMPS) is a philanthropic organization based in Siena, Tuscany, Italy. The foundation was in fact the original statutory corporation of Monte dei Paschi di Siena. Due to Legge Amato, in 1995 there was a sepa ...

.Fondazione Banca Monte dei Paschi

Bibliography

*''Toscana. Guida d'Italia'' (Guida rossa), Touring Club Italiano, Milano 2003, p. 536.

References

{{Authority control Sansedoni Gothic architecture in Siena