Podestà’s Palace

The palace is near the church of Saint Stephen. It was built in the first half of the XVI century, when the battles between Lucca and Pistoia finished and  Serravalle was under the control of Medici, an important Florentine family. In this period, Serravalle became a 'podesteria', that is it had a head of the village (called 'podestà') appointed by central government to carry out the duties of the mayor and town council. The village was a part of Capitanato of Pistoia and its podestà worked in Serravalle and Larciano.

Now the palace is a private house, but it conserves sixteenth-century features, for example the door with the technique called “bugnato”. Podesta's emblems are on the façade. This organization was unchanged until 1838, when Lorena, grand dukes of Tuscany, embedded the village in the civil jurisdiction of Pistoia.

Next to the palace is Judgement Hall, ancient seat of the civic magistracy and it has been attested from the end of the XIV century. Now it is a modern building, with remains of the original structure on the east side. On the back there are the ancient prisons, now Historical Archive of the Municipality.