Palazzo Comunale and Torre Grossa
Palazzo Comunale and Torre Grossa historical timeline
Last updated on October 14, 2026- 13th century — the Palazzo Comunale becomes the seat of the civic authority of San Gimignano, a role it has never entirely given up: the comune's offices are still on the ground floor.
- 1289–1298 — the building as it now stands is raised on the ruins of an earlier structure.
- — the Torre Grossa is completed, at 54 metres the highest tower in the walled town.
- — the palace is enlarged and the ground-floor courtyard is built.
- — the palace takes over as the seat of the town from the nearby Palazzo Vecchio del Podestà.
- 14th century — further expansion, and the arched-window facade reaches its present form.
- — a cistern is arranged at the centre of the courtyard.
- — the building becomes home to the civic museum, which still occupies its upper floors.
- 1878–1881 — Giuseppe Partini restores the building, and the battlements and several other elements visible today date from this campaign rather than from the Middle Ages.
- — the Historic Centre of San Gimignano, this building included, is inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site at the 14th Session under cultural criteria (i), (iii) and (iv).
Verified against Wikipedia, October 2026.