T03: Torre Palazzo del Podestà Asciano

Etica Synthetic Chronology
1342 - 1352 "construction of the tower - rampart on which the building stands, as it belongs to the third high walled circle in recent years
1470 - 1700 ca. posters of podestarili arms
1531 ca. the Palazzo del Podestà has half its original size
post 1903 extension of the Palazzo del Podestà

Dimensional data
average external height: 19.0 m.
average internal height: 13.0 m.
masonry thickness: n.r.
section length: 20.0 m.

Architectural Description
The tower better known as Palazzo del Podestà, with a notable spur and a foundation of foundation on local rock in Via delle Fonti, presents on Piazza del Grano a richly decorated façade with noble coats of arms of the podestà who succeeded one another between the fifteenth and the seventeenth century (fig. D.8). The stones, which depict the noble arms of the judges, do not however hide the late age of the building, indeed they manifest themselves as tangible signs of its centuries-old history.

 The coats of arms are ten in all, a small part, indeed, of the coats of arms of the four hundred and more podestà, without counting their predecessors, that occupied this center; each bears the date (from 1471 to 1626), the name of the podestà and the depiction of the family coat of arms (for example Mariano de 'Cacciaconti has the Sienese hut as a coat of arms, since his family had declared itself a Sienese citizen since 1198 ); almost all are in marble or travertine (except one in unreadable chrome terracotta). Curiously, the crests of the Vieri and Palmieri appear on the facade
of the building and on the overlooking Piazza del Grano Fountain commissioned by themselves.
The main façade on Via Bartolenga is characterized, in addition to the coats of arms, also by the slightly shorter base and the upper folder. The rear façade has a spur in the south-west corner and a stone base. Adjacent to the building a vaulted passage leads to the staircase that connects Piazza del Grano with Via delle Fonti located at a lower level of about 5 meters. The walls are made of stone, with stone cantons in the west elevation where there is also an elevation. Especially in the twentieth-century enlargement to the north there are brick inserts. The roof is pavilion-shaped in tiles and brick tiles.

Current state
This tower, an ancient defensive bulwark, has carried out various functions over the centuries, from granary to public theater and ballroom; today it is privately owned and practically abandoned. Its history and strategic and prestigious location on Piazza del Grano is strongly characterized and representative of the history of the local community.

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