2 – DIANA DELLE LOGGE PALACE (ENG)

In Renaissance style, it was the first palace built after the construction of Piazza Alberica. It is positioned astride the old city walls on the eastern side of the square and is distinguished by a large loggia consisting of 12 round arches along the square’s long side and one arch on each end, supported by slender marble columns. Above the arches runs a marble band, and about half a meter above this, a molding supports twelve windows. Higher up is another row of smaller windows, with casings adorned with small columns on the exterior.

On the mountain-facing side, the palace extends beyond the colonnade with a small loggia framed by two Doric columns and a balustrade. On the seaward side, there is a small balcony. Noteworthy is also the marble portal, characterized by two pilasters and the depiction of two Moors holding a cushion, which in turn supports the cornice. The decoration includes a frieze with war imagery; at the center is a shield that once displayed the family crest.

The palace was built at the end of the 16th century by Giorgio Vasari. Unfortunately, the interior decorations and arrangements have been lost over time.