Palazzo degli Anziani, Pistoia

The Palazzo degli Anziani, also called the Palazzo del Comune or Palazzo del Giano, is a Gothic stone palace in the historic center of Pistoia, Tuscany, Italy, begun in 1295 as a residence and seat for the magistrates of the city during the term of podesta Giano della Bella. Its three ground-floor arches were completed by 1345 and the great hall on the main floor was finished with mullioned windows by 1353, with a corridor linking the palace to a nearby church added in 1637. The facade carries the Medici coat of arms alongside the red-and-white checkered arms of Pistoia, held up by a bear as the rival symbol of Pistoia opposite the lion of Florence. The palace served as the city hall of Pistoia for centuries and, still owned by the comune, today houses the Museo Civico d'Arte Antica. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/