Palazzo Comunale, Pinacoteca e Torre Grossa
Civic Museums of San Gimignano in the Palazzo Comunale of 1288: Sala di Dante, Camera del Podestà, Pinacoteca and the climb up the Torre Grossa.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Palazzo Comunale of San Gimignano, built in 1288 and also known as the Palazzo del Popolo or Palazzo Nuovo del Podestà, houses the historic seat of the Civic Museums. The route showcases cycles of frescoes that convey the civic role the Palazzo del Podestà played in the life of the town.
On the first floor is the Council Chamber, also called the Sala di Dante after the poet’s visit in 1299 as ambassador of the Guelph League. Its walls preserve hunting and tournament scenes dedicated to Charles of Anjou, attributed to Azzo di Masetto (around 1290), and the monumental Maestà by Lippo Memmi (1317), inspired by the one painted by Simone Martini in the Palazzo Pubblico in Siena. On the second floor are the Camera del Podestà, with scenes of secular love painted by Memmo di Filippuccio between 1303 and 1310, and the rooms of the Pinacoteca.
The Pinacoteca documents the key moments of local artistic patronage, from the presence of Florentines such as Coppo di Marcovaldo and Sienese such as Rinaldo in the late thirteenth century, through the great Sienese season of the fourteenth century, to Taddeo di Bartolo, Lorenzo di Niccolò and the Master of 1419, and then the rise of Florentine artists such as Benozzo Gozzoli, Filippino Lippi, Benedetto da Maiano and Pinturicchio. From the Pinacoteca one reaches the Torre Grossa, built between 1300 and 1311, from which there is a wide view over the town and the Valdelsa.
Highlights
- Sala di Dante with frescoes by Azzo di Masetto and the Maestà by Lippo Memmi (1317)
- Camera del Podestà with the love scenes by Memmo di Filippuccio
- Annunciation in two tondi by Filippino Lippi
- Saint Gimignano enthroned with eight scenes from his life by Taddeo di Bartolo (1401)
- Assumption of the Virgin and saints by Pinturicchio (1511)
- View from the Torre Grossa
Permanent exhibitions
- Palazzo Comunale: Sala di Dante e Camera del Podestà – Fresco cycles of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, including the Maestà by Lippo Memmi and the secular scenes by Memmo di Filippuccio.
- Pinacoteca – Paintings by Sienese and Florentine artists from the late thirteenth to the fifteenth century, including Taddeo di Bartolo, Benozzo Gozzoli, Filippino Lippi and Pinturicchio.
- Torre Grossa – Tower built between 1300 and 1311, accessible from the Pinacoteca, with views over the town and the Valdelsa.
- Founded
- 1906
- Operated by
- Comune di San Gimignano
- Visitors per year
- approx. 165,070
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €10 |
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| Reduced | €8Visitors aged 6 to 17, people over 65, groups of at least 20 people and school groups |
| Children & teens | €8free up to age 5 · Free admission for children aged 0 to 5. |
| Seniors | €8People over 65. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission for people with disabilities, holders of the European Disability Card and their accompanying persons. |
| Groups (20+ people) | €8 per personGroups of at least 20 people, with two free accompanying adults; the same rate applies to school groups on educational visits. |
| Standard ticket with a booked time slot for the Torre Grossa | €11 |
| San Gimignano Pass (Civic Museums and Collegiate Church, valid 3 days) | €15Junior (6–17 years) €12; advance sales fee €1. From 11 January to 28 February 2027 the pass cannot be purchased. |
The ticket is valid for 3 days; a booking fee of €1 applies. Also free for residents of San Gimignano, licensed tour guides, ICOM members and pupils from San Gimignano schools visiting with their teachers. Reductions and free admission must be documented at the ticket office. From 11 January to 28 February 2027 the Palazzo Comunale is closed, and a special ticket for Santa Chiara and San Lorenzo in Ponte costs €6 (€4 reduced).
Accessibility
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Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
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Amenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| Good to know | The Torre Grossa is accessed from the Pinacoteca. Information and bookings: +39 0577 286300, Monday to Friday 8:30–17:00. |
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