Palazzo dei Priori

The Palazzo dei Priori (Umbria ) is a palace in Perugia. The Prior palace contains a number of interesting areas and rooms. The building was built mainly in the 16th century inside of local travertine and white and red stone from the neighboring Bettona.

The meeting room of the city leaders ( ' Sala dei Priori ' and ' Sala dei Notari ') of 1293 has with its eight arches a very unusual shape. Arches are cased arches that are transverse to the main direction of a room and the two opposite walls stabilize them against each other.

The Commercial College ( ' Collegio della Mercanzia ') from the 15th century has an unusual for Italy wood paneling of the walls and the ceiling. Such equipment is normally known only from the northern, colder countries.

The audience hall ( ' Sala dell' Udienza ') of the currency exchange college ( ' Collegio del Cambio ') is one of the most beautiful and best preserved profane indoors and dates from 1452. It is located in the western part of the palace. To a large trading city like Perugia belonged in the Middle Ages an opportunity to exchange different currencies against each other, who met here. The 1496-1500 resulting wall and ceiling paintings are by Perugino and possibly even of his former pupils Raphael.