Palace of the Captains of the Mountain, Cutigliano

Standing at the heart of Cutigliano, the Palace of the Captains of the Mountain was built in 1377 as the residence of the official appointed by Florence to govern the Pistoia Apennines. The first captain to live here was the Florentine noble Baldo Altoviti.

The building’s most memorable feature is its façade, decorated with stone and polychrome terracotta coats of arms left by the officials who held office between the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries. Together they form an extraordinary public record of the families and institutions that shaped this mountain territory.

The palace now houses the Cutigliano municipal offices and is also used for civic meetings, exhibitions and cultural initiatives. Its exterior and heraldic decorations can be appreciated from Piazza Umberto I at any time; access to interior rooms depends on municipal opening hours or scheduled events, so checking with the Municipality before travelling is recommended.

Sources
Municipality of Abetone Cutigliano — tourism and heritage
Municipality of Abetone Cutigliano — Cutigliano Town Hall and contacts
Visit Tuscany — Palazzo dei Capitani della Montagna
Wikimedia Commons — photograph by Chimecip, CC BY-SA 4.0