The town hall palace is a sixteenth century building, attributed to the architect Gian Antonio Piotti, nick-named the Vacallo. Owned by the town since 1876, and is registered as a listed, historical building since 1927. The archaeological excavations carried out during restoration have revealed the presence of a previous building with a large room under the actual entrance hall and the main door. This building was perhaps built into the wall surrounding the town, trace of which still remains in the rustic facing onto the internal courtyard. Dendrochronology analysis on the ground floor beams have placed the date of the construction of the palace to be around 1570. This was commissioned by the Della Croce family whose coat of arms is on the fire-place1 on the first floor. The Della Croce were originally from Milan and had already acquired and transformed at least two palaces at Riva San Vitale: the actual Canisio institute, inherited by the Della Planta through marriage at the end of the XV century and the Houck house, near the church of Santa Croce. This was erected by the Architect Piotti for Giovan Andrea Della Croce, Archpriest, in 1580. It is quite possible that the actual town hall was once the headquarters of one of the Archpriest’s brothers. It is a very elegant building, which emerges along the irregular, medieval contours of the town, prominent in its stance on the road which was once the “main square” facing the edge of the lake.
