Montepulciano - Palazzo Tarugi

The massive Palazzo Tarugi, on the north side of the Palazzo Comunale, is also attributed to Antonio da Sangallo the Elder, though there is some probability that it was the work of Giacomo da Vignola (1507-73). The lower part of the façade is articulated by columns supporting a balustrade; the open loggia on the ground floor originally had a counterpart on the upper floor, but this is now walled up. Adjoining the Palazzo Tarugi is a fountain erected in 1520, incorporating two Etruscan columns; it is topped by two lions bearing the Médici coat of arms and two griffins.