Suardi-Martinelli Palace

A historic building in the heart of Cologne

Located opposite the parish church, in the centre of the town, the building that now houses the Town Hall is one of Cologne’s most interesting historic buildings.

Medieval origins and Renaissance features

Known as Palazzo Martinelli, it once belonged to the illustrious Suardi family. The origins of the complex certainly date back to the late Middle Ages or the fifteenth century. Although it has undergone numerous alterations, it still retains some of the appearance of a Renaissance stately home: on the exterior, the walls, concealed by plaster, appear continuous, interrupted only by the large portal in Sarnico stone with an asymmetrical rusticated finish, surmounted by a massive sandstone balcony with a curved balustrade, supported by corbels. The distinction between the ground floor and the main floor can be discerned from the outside by the arrangement of the windows and doors: the exterior appearance of the residence is reminiscent of the façade of the palace in Rovato, now the town hall, which is also an architectural example of the high 15th century.

The late Gothic fresco of Saints Gervasius and Protasius

As if this comparison were not enough, the council chamber still houses a fresco depicting Saints Gervasius and Protasius: stylistically, the painting is reminiscent of the Bembo school, masters whose workshop was extremely active in Brescia and the surrounding area during the first half of the 15th century; furthermore, the accompanying inscription, as well as the style of the clothing worn by the figures, confirm a late Gothic date. If the fresco, which has now been removed from its original location and is on display elsewhere, were to come from the same building, it would prove beyond any doubt its late medieval origins.

The internal portico and the row of windows

The severity of the profiles and the absence of external decorative elements are softened inside, where the main façade is enlivened by a vaulted portico with round arches, supported by square pilasters in chained rustication and surmounted by a row of windows.