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Palazzo Arezzo Della Targia is a palace situated in Piazza del Duomo, on the Ortygia island, in Syracuse. The palace is located across the square from the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, between Palazzo Beneventano Del Bosco, to the north, and the Palace of the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage of Syracuse, to the south.   SHORT HISTORY Palazzo Arezzo Della Targia was built in the first half of the 18th century at the behest of the powerful Arezzo family, Barons of a fiefdom located in Targia (northern suburbs of Syracuse), with various other possessions scattered throughout the city (from Cassibile to Augusta). The palace was built after a design by the architect Luciano Alì.   ARCHITECTURE The palace has a curvilinear shape, following the elliptical shape of Piazza del Duomo. The facade of the palace, on two levels, is divided in 9 sectors by ten pillars in Ionic style. The facade has four large portals, separated from each other by rectangular windows. On the second floor, there are nine balconies enclosed by railings. On the southern facade, there is another portal in Baroque style, flanked by two other balconies also enclosed in wrought iron.   HOW Read more [...]

Quattro Fontane (Four Fountains) is a beautiful fountain in Taormina, located in Piazza Duomo, in front of the Cathedral of San Nicolò di Bari.   SHORT HISTORY The fountain was built in 1635 by the Municipality of Taormina, and it became popularly known as Quattro Fontane from the four small columns placed on each corner of the monument, each with its own basin and surmounted by a seahorse from whose mouth the water flowed. Today, only one of the four seahorses is still functional.   ARCHITECTURE The fountain has a central body formed by two basins. On the edge of the smaller one, there are four names engraved – Vincenzo Spuches, Vincenzo Cacopardo, Geronimo Mena and Cesare Onion. They are the representatives of the Municipality who ordered the construction of the fountain. In the center of the small basin, a pedestal supports a Centauress, with the crown on her head, who holds a scepter in her right hand and a globe with a cross in her left hand.   HOW TO GET THERE Quattro Fontane is located in Piazza Duomo, about 700 meters away from Porta Messina, the main entrance to the historical center of the town, and about 110 Read more [...]

The Church of Sant’Agostino is a former religious building located in the historic center of Taormina, one of the most renowned cultural and tourist destinations in eastern Sicily. Today deconsecrated, the church stands prominently in Piazza IX Aprile, the town’s main panoramic square, directly facing Torre dell’Orologio, also known as Porta di Mezzo, which historically divided Taormina into two urban districts. Due to its central location, the Church of Sant’Agostino has always played a significant role in the civic and social life of Taormina. Although it no longer functions as a place of worship, the building remains an important historical landmark and a key component of the town’s architectural heritage. Over the centuries, the church has undergone numerous transformations, reflecting broader political, religious, and cultural changes that affected Sicily from the late Middle Ages through the modern era. Today, the former church and its adjacent convent are integrated into Taormina’s Museo Diffuso (Distributed Museum) system and are used as a library, exhibition space, and cultural venue, continuing a long tradition of public use that dates back to the 19th century.     Short History of the Church of Sant’Agostino The history of the Church of Sant’Agostino begins in the late Read more [...]

Torre dell’Orologio (Clock Tower) is a medieval tower and, at the same time, a city gate located in Piazza IX Aprile, in Taormina. Due to its location, about halfway between Porta Messina and Porta Catania, along Corso Umberto, the tower is also known as Torre di Mezzo (Middle Tower) or Porta di Mezzo (Middle Gate). The tower actually separates the medieval part of the town from the ancient Greco-Roman part of Taormina.   SHORT HISTORY Torre di Mezzo was built in the 12th century on Greco-Roman foundations. In 1676, the tower was destroyed by the French troops of Louis XIV, the Sun King. Three years later, in 1679, the tower was rebuilt, and the clock was installed. From that moment on, the tower became known as Torre dell’Orologio. The bells of the tower ring on two occasions – on the election day of the town’s mayor, and on July 9, when the patron saint of Taormina, San Pancrazio, is celebrated.   HOW TO GET THERE Torre dell’Orologio is located about 450 meters away from Porta Messina and about 350 meters from Porta Catania. Because the historical center of Taormina is entirely pedestrian, you can reach the tower only on foot.

The Church of Santa Caterina d’Alessandria is a Baroque church located on Corso Umberto, in the historical center of Taormina, near Porta Messina.   SHORT HISTORY The Order of Capuchin Friars arrived in Taormina towards the middle of the 16th century, and at the beginning of the 17th century, more precisely on April 27, 1610, bought the old Church of Santa Caterina, located outside the city walls. The new Church of Santa Caterina, located this time inside the city walls, was built in the first half of the 17th century on the ruins of a small Roman theater. During the 20th century, due to a precarious state, the Church of Santa Caterina was closed for about 40 years. The building was renovated and reopened for worship on November 25, 1977.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE The facade of the church is delimited by two corner pilasters. The entrance, raised by five steps above street level, is characterized by a central portal in pink Taormina marble with two Ionic columns on high plinths, surmounted by Corinthian capitals. The architrave supports two curled lateral volutes, with small angels above. The niche between the angels houses the statue of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, depicted Read more [...]

The Church of San Antonio Abate is a small church in Taormina, located on the southern edge of the historical center of the town, near Porta Catania.   SHORT HISTORY The Church of San Antonio Abate was built around the year 1330. After the bombing of 1943, during the Second World War, the church was almost completely destroyed, but it was immediately rebuilt with the stones recovered from the rubble.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE The architectural style of the church can be defined as eclectic. On the facade, we can find Byzantine elements, Gothic influences are present in the construction of the portal – clearly visible in the pointed arch above the architrave, and also Baroque elements appear in the small bell-gable placed on top of the left corner of the facade. The portal, built in white limestone, is surmounted by a pointed arch, with a tympanum decorated with small arches. The facade also features two small windows placed on the sides of the portal, and a small stone cross at the top. The church has a single nave, with an arched niche on the left wall decorated with gray Taormina marble, while in the upper part it imitates a Read more [...]

The Church of San Michele Arcangelo is a small church in Taormina, dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel, located about 140 meters away from the Cathedral of San Nicolò di Bari and Piazza Duomo.   SHORT HISTORY The Church of San Michele was built in Baroque style at the beginning of the 17th century, close to the walls of Palazzo Duchi di Santo Stefano. The church was heavily damaged by the bombings of 1943, during the Second World War, and despite the subsequent restoration from the 1950s, it was reopened for worship only in 2011.   ARCHITECTURE The best proof that the church was built in the 17th century is the Baroque portal on the facade. The beautiful portal has the jambs and the architrave in pink Taormina marble. Above the portal, there is a small rectangular window, surmounted by an iron cross at the top. A bell-gable with two bells is located on the left of the cross. The church have a single nave. The ceiling features exposed wood-beam trusses. Inside the church, there is a small crypt.   HOW TO GET THERE The Church of San Michele Arcangelo is located about 850 meters from Porta Messina, the main Read more [...]

The Cathedral of San Nicolò di Bari is the Cathedral of Taormina (Duomo di Taormina). The church is located in Piazza Duomo, along Corso Umberto, near Porta Catania, in the historical center of Taormina. Due to the external fortification elements, the church is also known as the Cathedral Fortress.   SHORT HISTORY The first cathedral of Taormina was the primitive Church of San Francesco di Paola. Starting with 962, during the muslim rule of the town, the Christian worship was prohibited, and following the Norman conquest of Taormina, in 1078, the town lost its bishopric. The construction of the current Cathedral, with the layout and characteristics of a fortress, dates back to the 13th century. The Cathedral was built in Sicilian Romanesque-Gothic style over the remains of a church dedicated to Saint Nicholas of Myra (also known as Nicolas of Bari). The Cathedral was partially rebuilt during the 15th century, and the Renaissance style portals were added at the beginning of the 16th century. The church was remodeled in the 17th century with the addition of the Baroque portal on the main facade, and the construction of the chapels in the side apses. Between 1945 and 1948, the Neapolitan architect Read more [...]

The Statue of San Corrado is a bronze sculpture depicting Saint Conrad of Piacenza, the patron saint of Noto, located in the eastern part of the city, in Piazzale Luigi Adorno.   THE SAINT Corrado Confalonieri was born in 1290 in the town of Calendasco, now a municipality in the Province of Vicenza, and died while in prayer, kneeling before a crucifix, on February 19, 1351, in Netum (Noto Antica). At his request, he was buried at the Church of St. Nicholas. After the city was struck by earthquake in the 1690s, his body was transferred to the new church of the same name built in the relocated city, now called Noto. Pope Leo X beatified Conrad on July 12, 1515, and permitted the town of Noto to celebrate his feast day on February 19. On June 2, 1625, he was canonized by Cardinal Odoardo Farnese, in a solemn ceremony held at the Cathedral of Piacenza.   THE STATUE The statue of Saint Conrad of Piacenza, caught in the act of blessing the faithful, was inaugurated in 1955 on the occasion of the solemn patronal feast held every year on the last Sunday of August. The sculpture, about 2 meters Read more [...]

Teatro Sociale (Social Theater) is the largest historical theater of Mantua, located in the center of the city, in Piazza Felice Cavallotti.   SHORT HISTORY At the end of the Napoleonic period, there were two theaters in Mantua: Teatro Regio, built in 1783 by Giuseppe Giorgio Pietro Baldassarre Piermarini, and the Scientific Theater (Teatro Scientifico), built by Antonio Bibiena in 1769. Both theaters were located outside the city center, and the need for a new theater centrally located appeared at the beginning of the 19th century. On January 12, 1817, a special commission of notable citizens was formed to find a designer for the new theater. The commission chose not to risk it and turned to the well-known designer Luigi Canonica, former royal architect and the author of notable projects such as the enlargement of Teatro alla Scala in Milan, the new hall of Teatro Grande in Brescia and the rebuilding of Teatro della Concordia in Cremona. On June 24, 1818, the first stone was laid in the presence of Count Ferdinando Arrivabene, the Marquis Francesco Zanetti, Luigi Preti and the architect Giovanni Battista Marconi, in charge of supervising the works. Teatro Sociale was completed in 1822 and opened on Read more [...]

Buy tickets & tours:VivaTicket Palazzo della Ragione is a medieval palace located in the historical center of Mantua, in Piazza delle Erbe, adjacent to Palazzo del Podesta.   SHORT HISTORY Palazzo della Ragione was built around the year 1250 on the ruins of a building located next to Rotonda di San Lorenzo. The palace was later used as the Town Hall and then as a market. During the Gonzaga’s lordship, the palace was joined to Palazzo del Podesta, and used in the 15th century as the Palace of Justice, hence the name of Palazzo della Ragione. The external portico towards Piazza Erbe and the adjacent Clock Tower date from that period. Palazzo della Ragione was renovated during the last years of the 17th century and the first years of the 18th century, based on a project by the architect Doricilio Moscatelli, known as Battaglia. During this period, the facade of the palace was radically transformed, with the removal of the original windows and the opening of new ones. In 1942, on a project by the Mantuan architect Aldo Andreani, the original facade and the interior of the palace were restored. Palazzo della Ragione was damaged by the earthquake of May Read more [...]

Buy tickets & tours:VivaTicket Palazzo del Podesta, also known as Palazzo del Broletto, is a medieval palace located in the historical center of Mantua, between Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza Broletto, adjacent to Palazzo della Ragione.   SHORT HISTORY Palazzo del Podesta was commissioned in 1227 by Laudarengo Martinengo from Brescia, appointed podesta of Mantua, and built starting with the same year. In 1241, a fire destroyed the palace, which was then restored, enlarged and equipped with battlements. During the same time, Torre del Broletto was also rebuilt and Palazzo del Podesta became a symbol of the new municipal values. In 1413, the palace was set on fire again. The arsonist was, probably, Gianfrancesco Gonzaga, who, after the rise to power of the Gonzaga family, wanted to eliminate the symbolic building of the previous administration. In the 15th century, after many decades of neglect, Palazzo del Podesta was recovered and, between 1462 and 1464, it was renovated in Renaissance style after a design by Luca Fancelli, commissioned by the Marquis Ludovico II Gonzaga. The works were supervised by the architect Giovanni Antonio D’Arezzo. Many of the changes made by Luca Fancelli in the 15th century were eliminated in 1941, during Read more [...]

Piazza Castello, formerly known as Prato di Castello, is one of the most significant squares in the historical center of Mantua. The square is located inside the Ducal Palace, adjacent to the imposing Castello di San Giorgio, and is accessed from Piazza Sordello through a monumental entrance resembling a triumphal arch, frescoed on the inside, work of the architect Antonio Maria Viani.   SHORT HISTORY Piazza Castello was built in the 16th century by the architect Giovanni Battista Bertani, a pupil of Giulio Romano. Bertani was promoted after Romano’s death to the post of prefect of the ducal studio (chief architect) of the Gonzagas, a position he held between 1549 and 1576.   ARCHITECTURE The square is the largest open space inside the Palazzo Ducale complex, and is surrounded on three sides by elegant late 16th-century arcades, probably designed by Bertani, decorated with frescoed festoons of flowers and fruit. Besides the monumental entrance, Antonio Maria Viani is responsible also for the exedra in front of it, once the entrance to the St. Giorgio’s Castle. On the western side of the square, the only one without arcades, are the rooms of the ancient chancellery. To the south of the square, there Read more [...]

Piazza delle Erbe is one of the main squares in Mantua. Together with the nearby Piazza Sordello, Piazza delle Erbe was the center of the civil power of Mantua for about 800 hundred years.   SHORT HISTORY Piazza delle Erbe began to take shape towards the end of the 12th century, when a vast unpaved land on the eastern side of the Basilica of Sant’Andrea was used as a venue for the cattle market. The space in front of Via di Sant’Andrea, now Via Broletto, where shops were already built, was divided in two by Palazzo del Podesta, also known as Palazzo del Broletto, built in 1227. On the eastern side of the square, between Palazzo del Podesta and the Rotonda di San Lorenzo, Palazzo della Ragione was built around the middle of the 12th century. During the domination of the Bonacolsi and later of the Gonzagas, the administrative and political power center moved gradually from Piazza delle Erbe to the new Piazza San Pietro, now Piazza Sordello. In 1455, in the western corner of the square, the House of the Merchant Giovan Boniforte da Concorezzo was built, decorated in late Gothic style with Venetian terracotta. In the second half Read more [...]

Buy tickets & tours:GetYourGuide The Cathedral of San Pietro Apostolo (Duomo di Mantova) is the Cathedral of Mantua, dedicated to Saint Peter, located in Piazza Sordello, between Palazzo Bianchi and Palazzo Ducale.   SHORT HISTORY A first church of early Christian origin was erected on this site in the 5th century, and destroyed by a fire in 894. The church was rebuilt in Romanesque style in the 11th century, probably by Matilda di Canossa, and became the Cathedral of Mantua. The bell tower belongs to this era. The current church was rebuilt and enlarged between 1395 and 1401, at the behest of Francesco I Gonzaga. The splendid long lost marble facade of the church, equipped with a porch, rose windows and pinnacles, designed by Jacobello and Pierpaolo dalle Masegne, can be found in a painting by Domenico Morone preserved in the Ducal Palace. During these years, the Cathedral was flanked by two rows of Gothic chapels, decorated with marble and terracotta spiers and cusps, also designed by Jacobello dalle Masegne, whose wall structure is still visible on the right side of the church. In 1545, the Cathedral was renovated by Giulio Romano, who left the facade and the perimeter walls Read more [...]

Piazza Sordello is a beautiful square in Mantua, dedicated to the Mantuan troubadour of the 13th century, Sordello da Goito.   SHORT HISTORY The square was built in 1330, after the demolition of some old buildings located between two parallel streets that followed the urban design of the ancient Roman city. One street, Strada Magna, connected the Vault of San Pietro (Voltone di San Pietro) with the Cathedral, while the other street, Strata Sanctae Mariae Matris Domini, connected the church that gave its name to the Church of Santa Croce, later incorporated into the Ducal Palace. For centuries, Piazza di San Pietro, as it was known then, remained the center of Mantua’s political, social and religious life. In December 2006, the remains of mosaic-decorated floors of an imperial Roman villa were found in the southeast corner of Piazza Sordello. Currently, the archaeological site, awaiting new excavations, is contained in a structure so that it can be viewed by the public.   ARCHITECTURE Most of the buildings located in the square date back to the Middle Ages. To the north of the square, there is the Cathedral of San Pietro (Cattedrale di San Pietro), built between 1395 and 1401, and renovated Read more [...]

Rotonda di San Lorenzo is the oldest church in Mantua, located in Piazza delle Erbe, near Palazzo della Ragione.   SHORT HISTORY According to tradition, Rotonda di San Lorenzo was built at the behest of Matilda di Canossa, as an evocation of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, connected to the relic of the Blood of Christ found centuries earlier in Mantua and now preserved in the nearby crypt of the Basilica of Sant’Andrea. On the other hand, the positioning of the structure 1.5 meters below the level of Piazza delle Erbe and the existence of Roman vestiges dated to the 4th century, may suggest that the church was built earlier. The year 1083, which appears on the plaster of the building, may indicate the construction date of the church or a later date when it was renovated. Over the centuries, the church underwent radical transformations. At one point, the project for the renovation of the structure was entrusted to the architect Leon Battista Alberti. Later, it was Giulio Romano who worked on the building. The church was closed for worship in 1579, at the behest of Duke Guglielmo Gonzaga. Deconsecrated, the structure decayed quickly. It first became Read more [...]

Castello di San Giorgio (Saint George’s Castle) is a moated rectangular castle in Mantua, located in the northeastern corner of the city. The castle is part of the Ducal Palace.   SHORT HISTORY Castello di San Giorgio was commissioned by Francesco I Gonzaga to the architect Bartolino da Novara, and built on the ruins of the Church of Santa Maria di Capo di Bove between 1395 and 1406. In 1458, the architect Luca Fancelli, at the behest of the Marquis Ludovico II Gonzaga, renovated the castle, which definitively lost its military and defensive functions. The castle was for many years the residence of Isabella d’Este, wife of Francesco II Gonzaga, one of the most famous noblewomen of the Renaissance. As the Lady of the manor, Isabella invited numerous artists and humanists of the time at the castle, such as the painters Andrea Mantegna and Pietro Perugino, the polymath Leonardo da Vinci, or the poets Ludovico Ariosto and Baldassarre Castiglione. The castle remained the Gonzaga residence for about a century, until Guglielmo Gonzaga moved his apartments to the renovated Palazzo Ducale. Starting with 1815, after the Austrian occupation of the city, the castle became a maximum security prison where opponents of Read more [...]

Palazzo Bianchi, also known as Palazzo Vescovile (Episcopal Palace), is a palace located in Mantua, in Piazza Sordello, in front of the Ducal Palace, between the Cathedral of San Pietro and Ca’ degli Uberti.   SHORT HISTORY A first building on this site belonged to the Agnelli family, who ceded it to Rinaldo Bonacolsi at the beginning of the 14th century. With the sack of Mantua of 1630, which took place during the War of the Mantuan Succession, the building suffered extensive damage, and some parts of it were demolished. When the noble Negri family, which owned the palace since 1582, became extinct, the property was inherited by the Porta family. The current appearance of the palace dates back to the middle of the 18th century, when it was built by Count Guido Porta, replacing two pre-existing buildings. The count sold it in 1756 to the Marquis Giuseppe Bianchi. The construction works ended in 1765, when a spectacular staircase was added. Around the same time, Giuseppe Bazzani frescoed the vaulted ceilings on the first floor. In 1814, an internal courtyard and an attic were added, and the facade of the palace was adorned with a coat of arms and statues Read more [...]

Palazzo Bonacolsi, also known as Palazzo Castiglioni, is a Gothic palace in Mantua, located in the beautiful Piazza Sordello, opposite the Ducal Palace. Today, a tavern and a guesthouse are set in the palace, Taverna Bonacolsi and, respectively, Palazzo Castiglioni Luxury Suites.   SHORT HISTORY Palazzo Bonacolsi was built at the end of the 13th century by Pinamonte Bonacolsi on land purchased from Rolandino de Pacis. Pinamonte acquired and incorporated into the palace other nearby buildings, including the Tower of the Cage (Torre della Gabbia), symbol of the power of the Bonacolsi. The Bonacolsi family ruled Mantua from the beginning of the 13th century and until August 16, 1328, when Rinaldo, the last of the Bonacolsi, was overthrown during a revolt supported by Luigi I Gonzaga, who seized the power. Starting with 1328, the palace became the property of the Gonzaga family. First, Luigi I Gonzaga owned the palace, then the building passed to his son, the Marquis Gianfrancesco I Gonzaga, who passed it further to his son, Alessandro Gonzaga. Alessandro died young, and his brother, Ludovico, became the new owner of the palace. Between 1479 and 1487, the palace was the residence of the Countess of Rodigo Antonia del Read more [...]

The Basilica of Sant’Andrea is a Renaissance church in Mantua, located in Piazza Andrea Mantegna. Inside the crypt of the basilica, two reliquaries with earth soaked in the Precious Blood of Christ are preserved.   MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST According to tradition, the Roman centurion Longinus pierced the side of the crucified Jesus with the Sacred Spear to ascertain whether He was dead or not. The soldier collected some of the blood in a vessel and returned to Italy. He stopped in Mantua in 37 AD, burying the precious relic in a small box, with the inscription Jesu Christi Sanguis on it. In the year 804, the small box next to his tomb was unearthed and the relic was officially recognized by the Catholic Church and approved for worship by Pope Leo III. Particles of the Precious Blood were transfered to the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, to the Church of Santa Croce in Guastalla, to the Basilica of Saint John Lateran in Rome and to the Abbey of Saint Martin in Weingarten.   SHORT HISTORY A first church dedicated to Sant’Andrea was built on this site in 1046 at the behest of Beatrice of Lotharingia, mother of Matilde di Canossa, Read more [...]

Palazzo D’Arco is a Neoclassical palace in Mantua, located in Piazza Carlo D’Arco. Today, the palace houses the Museum of Palazzo d’Arco, which displays the art collected over time by the D’Arco family.   SHORT HISTORY The D’Arco family settled permanently in Mantua in 1740, and by the marriage of Francesco Alberto d’Arco with one of the Chieppo family’s heirs, they acquired the residence of the latter. In 1784, Count Giovanni Battista Gherardo d’Arco commissioned the architect Antonio Colonna to rebuild the facade of the residence in Neoclassical style. The result was a remarkable example of an aristocratic palace rich in furnishings and paintings, with a library, a naturalistic collection and a beautiful garden enclosed by an exedra. In 1872, Francesco Antonio d’Arco bought from the Dalla Valle family two Renaissance buildings in the immediate vicinity of the palace, and incorporated them into the complex. The stables were built on the left side of the palace, a construction which later was transformed into the Teatrino d’Arco, seat of the Francesco Campogalliani Theater Academy since 1946. The last exponent of the family, who died in 1973, Giovanna dei Conti d’Arco Chieppio Ardizzoni, Marquise Guidi di Bagno, established the Arco Foundation, and Read more [...]

The Church of San Sebastiano, also known as the Temple of San Sebastiano, is an Early Renaissance church in Mantua, located in the immediate vicinity of Palazzo Te.   SHORT HISTORY Ludovico III Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua, commissioned the construction of the Church of San Sebastiano to the architect Leon Battista Alberti. Alberti, ten years later, designed also the magnificent Basilica of Sant’Andrea for the same member of the Gonzaga family. The construction of the church was begun around 1460 by Alberti, but was completed after the death of the architect by Luca Fancelli, at the beginning of the 16th century. Fancelli also completed Alberti’s other project, the Basilica of Sant’Andrea. The church was consecrated in 1529, underwent a first restoration at the beginning of the 17th century, and another arbitrary intervention in 1926.   ARCHITECTURE Alberti designed an austere and solemn building. The church has a Greek cross plan, with three identical short apses, under a central cross-vaulted space without any interior partitions. The church is divided on two levels. The lower one is the crypt, which was intended to serve as a mausoleum for the Gonzaga family. The upper level is now accessed from two outer staircases added Read more [...]

Palazzo del Capitanio, also known as Palazzo del Tribunale or Palazzo di Cansignorio, is a beautiful palace in Verona, located in Piazza dei Signori, between Palazzo della Ragione and Palazzo del Podesta.   SHORT HISTORY The construction of the palace was commissioned by Cansignorio della Scala and probably completed in 1363. Originally, the building was a fortified palace, austere and spartan, with three large towers at the corners, of which only one still stands. The current appearance of the palace dates back to the 16th century, when, during the Venetian domination, the palace was chosen as the seat of the Captain and his offices. The Republic of Venice ordered various rearrangements of the building – the facade was redesigned in Renaissance style and a small theater was open in one of the palace halls. The theater was subsequently closed and the hall was used for other purposes. During the Austrian domination, the building was used as a judicial court. After the Veneto region, including Verona, became part of the Kingdom of Italy, restorations of the palace were planned, and conducted beginning with 1880. In 1882, the remaining tower was restored, the windows of the upper floors were arranged, and the Read more [...]

Palazzo della Gran Guardia is an imposing palace located in the historical center of Verona, in Piazza Bra, close to the Arena.   SHORT HISTORY The birth certificate of the palace was signed on September 26, 1609, with a formal request from Captain Mocenigo to Nicolò Donà, the Doge of Venice. For the construction of the structure, it was chosen a location close to the walls of the Citadel, in order to have a wall already built, and to reduce costs and work times. On December 30, 1609, the authorization was granted by the Doge, but in 1614 the budget for the construction was exhausted and the works were suspended. Only in 1808, the works resumed, after almost two hundred years of inactivity. The construction was entrusted to the architect Giuseppe Barbieri, who will also build Palazzo della Gran Guardia Nuova (Palazzo Barbieri), now the city’s Town Hall. However, the works began only in 1818, under the rule of the Habsburg Empire. In 1848, the works, still in progress, were stopped because the building was used by the Austrian army during the first war of independence. Palazzo della Gran Guardia was finally completed in 1853. The palace is now used Read more [...]

The Church of Santo Stefano is a Catholic church in Verona, located in the Veronetta district, about 300 meters away from the Church of San Giorgio in Braida and Porta San Giorgio, and about 50 meters away from Ponte Pietra.   SHORT HISTORY A first Paleo-Christian building was erected here at the beginning of the 5th century. Of this primitive construction, only the general layout and the southern wall remain. During the reign of Theodoric the Great, at the beginning of the 6th century, the building was partially destroyed, but then promptly rebuilt. The stone episcopal chair preserved in the church and the remains of some Veronese bishops, led to the assumption that, in the early Middle Ages, the church was the bishopric of the diocese. In the 11th century, the crypt of the church was added. Unlike many Veronese buildings, Santo Stefano was only partially damaged during the earthquake of 1117. The subsequent reconstruction in Romanesque style involved changes to the apse, the windows and the facade, which was moved to include the narthex. Between 1618 and 1621, the parish priest, Monsignor Varalli, commissioned the Varalli Chapel (or Chapel of the Innocents) built in Baroque style on the southern Read more [...]

The Church of San Giorgio in Braida is a church in Verona, dedicated to Saint George, located in the Borgo Trento district, not far from the homonymous city gate, Porta San Giorgio.   SHORT HISTORY The Church of San Giorgio in Braida was built in the Middle Ages. Although some historians believe that the church already existed in the 8th century, its official birth is placed in 1046, when the Veronese nobleman Pietro Cadalo, newly elected bishop of Parma and subsequently antipope, decided to found a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Saint George. By 1051, the monastery was completed, and in 1052 the Holy Roman Emperor Henry III placed it under his protection. Between the 12th and 13th centuries, the monastery experienced a period of great economic and spiritual prosperity. Faint traces of the first ancient Romanesque building, probably rebuilt following the terrible earthquake of 1117, remain, such as the base of the bell tower visible on the left wall. In 1442, after a period of decline under the Della Scala family, the complex passed to the congregation of San Giorgio in Alga, which began the construction of today’s Renaissance church. Once the congregation was suppressed by Pope Clement XI, in Read more [...]

Porta San Giorgio, also known as Porta Trento, is one of the historic gates of Verona, located along the city’s old defensive walls on the left bank of the Adige River. It stands near Lungadige San Giorgio, close to the Church of San Giorgio in Braida and the northern edge of the historic center. The gate marked an important access point into Verona from the river’s left bank. Its location was strategic because it controlled a route connected with the northern approaches to the city, including the road toward Tyrol and the hilly defensive area above Verona. Porta San Giorgio is not only a city gate, but a military structure shaped by several historical periods. Its first phase belongs to the Scaliger fortifications, its Renaissance façade belongs to Venetian Verona, and its inner completion belongs to the Austrian period. Today, Porta San Giorgio is best understood as part of Verona’s defensive landscape. It can be combined with San Giorgio in Braida, the Adige riverfront, Ponte Pietra, the Roman Theatre area, and the northern hillside routes of Verona.     Short History of Porta San Giorgio The Scaliger Gate of the 14th Century The earliest Porta San Giorgio belonged to the Read more [...]

Palazzo del Podesta, also known as Palazzo del Governo (Government Palace) or Palazzo di Cangrande, is a medieval palace in Verona, located in Piazza dei Signori, between Loggia del Consiglio and Palazzo di Cansignorio.   SHORT HISTORY Palazzo del Podesta was comissioned by the Scaligeri in the second half of the 13th century for Alberto I della Scala, who came to power in 1277. In 1311, his son, Cangrande I della Scala, took up residence in the palace. During the lordship of Cangrande I, many illustrious men found hospitality in the palace, including prominent personalities such as the poet Dante Alighieri and the painter Giotto di Bondone. Dante, exiled from Florence, stayed for a long time in the palace. In fact, Piazza dei Signori is also called by the locals Piazza Dante, and in the center of the square we can find the statue of the poet. With the fall of the Scala dynasty, the palace became, during the Venetian occupation, the seat of important magistrates. The palace also hosted the offices of the podesta (chief magistrate), from which took its name. Remodeled several times over the centuries, the palace was restored to its medieval appearance in the 1920s by Read more [...]

Built in Roman times, Ponte Pietra (Stone Bridge) is the oldest bridge on the Adige River, in Verona.   SHORT HISTORY A first wooden bridge was built on this place during the construction of Via Postumia, in 148 BC. Subsequently, the wooden bridge was replaced by the stone one. In the following centuries, the bridge was damaged many times, mainly due to the flooding of the Adige River, in particular in 1007, in 1153, in 1232 and again in 1239. In 1298, the Lord of Verona Alberto della Scala had the tower on the western bank of the river restored and the adjacent arch rebuilt, while in 1368, his great-grandson, Cansignorio della Scala, built an aqueduct on the same bridge that supplied water to several houses in the historic center of the city. During the same time, the bridge was equipped with a second tower on the eastern bank of the river. In 1508, the City Council asked the architect Fra’ Giocondo to supervise the reconstruction of the Roman bridge, but the work began only in 1520, after the death of the architect, and was finished one year later. After a few centuries of relative tranquility, in 1801, the tower Read more [...]

Loggia del Consiglio, also known as Loggia of Fra’ Giocondo, is a Renaissance style palazzo located in Piazza dei Signori, in Verona, adjacent to Palazzo del Podesta. The palace is currently used as the seat of the City Council.   SHORT HISTORY Although the construction of the loggia was planned by the Municipality of Verona at the beginning of the 15th century, to be used for the meetings of the local council, the work on the building began only in 1476. The design and construction of the loggia lasted a long time. The works practically finished in 1492, but most of the decorations were added later. Today, the palace is also known as the Loggia di Fra’ Giocondo, but only for an error appeared in the 19th century. Fra Giocondo was an architect and a Veronese monk, also very active in cities like Rome and Paris, to whom the work was erroneously attributed.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE Loggia del Consiglio has marble columns built with marble from all over the world, even with green marble from China, thanks to the Silk Road trade. The facade had two bronze high-reliefs depicting the Archangel Gabriel and the Virgin of the Annunciation, which Read more [...]

Palazzo dei Banchi (Palace of the Banks) is a 15th-century palace in Bologna, located in Piazza Maggiore, next to the Basilica of San Petronio and Palazzo del Podesta. The palace takes its name from some shops that practiced currency exchange during the 15th and 16th centuries.   SHORT HISTORY Palazzo dei Banchi was the last building erected in Piazza Maggiore, starting with 1412. The palace consists of several buildings joined behind the same facade. The facade of the palace and the portico, known as Pavaglione, were built after a project by the architect Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola, and were completed between 1565 and 1568. Behind the palace, there is the Mercato di Mezzo, a series of alleys where, since the Middle Ages, a market of typical products and crafts was established. Also located behind Palazzo dei Banchi is the city’s archaeological museum (Museo Civico Archeologico) and the Church of Santa Maria della Vita.   ARCHITECTURE Palazzo dei Banchi has a Renaissance-style facade, with a long portico on the ground floor (Pavaglione). The asymmetric facade of the palace has 15 rounded arches, two of which are larger and lead to the alleys mentioned above, while the others are lower. All the Read more [...]

Palazzo dei Notai (Palace of the Notaries) is a medieval palace in Bologna, located in Piazza Maggiore, between the Basilica of San Petronio and Palazzo d’Accursio.   SHORT HISTORY The palace was built starting with 1381 as the seat of the Notaries Guild. Its construction had two stages: the part facing the Basilica of San Petronio dates back to 1381, but the one facing Palazzo d’Accursio was rebuilt by Bartolomeo Fioravanti in 1437. In 1422, a loggia was added to the building, and the current door was opened in Via dei Pignattari, next to the Basilica of San Petronio. In 1792, when the vault of the great hall was transformed and raised according to a design by Giuseppe Tubertini, many battlements were damaged, and the palace partially lost its characteristic medieval appearance. In 1908, Palazzo dei Notai was completely restored by Alfonso Rubbiani, who mainly intervened on the facade and demolished the great hall of Tubertini.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE Palazzo dei Notai is a rectangular structure made of bricks, crenellated on top, with Gothic mullioned windows. Inside the palace, in the Salone dei Notai (Hall of Notaries), you can admire the 15th-century frescoes representing the Incredulity of Saint Thomas, Read more [...]

Buy tickets & tours:GetYourGuide Palazzo d’Accursio, also known as Palazzo Comunale, houses the Town Hall of Bologna. The palace is located in Piazza Maggiore, flanked by Palazzo del Podesta and Palazzo dei Notai.   SHORT HISTORY Palazzo d’Accursio is actually a collection of buildings joined over the centuries, hidden by the same facade. The original nucleus, purchased by the Municipality at the end of the 13th century, was the home of Accursio, a jurist and teacher of law in Bologna. Only in 1336, the palace became the residence of the Anziani (Senior Citizens), the highest magistracy of the Municipality of Bologna and, therefore, the seat of the city government. In the 15th century, the palace was renovated by Fioravante Fioravanti and an astronomical clock was added on the Torre d’Accursio, with a carousel of automata that paraded at each hour change. Other architectural renovations date back to the early 16th century, after the fall of the Bentivoglio family. At the end of the 16th century, the double flight of stairs that gives access to the interior, attributed to Donato Bramante, was completed. In recent history, the palace became famous for the massacre that bears its name. On November 21, 1920, Read more [...]

Palazzo del Podesta is a beautiful palace in Bologna, located in Piazza Maggiore, adjacent to Palazzo Re Enzo, opposite the Basilica of San Petronio.   SHORT HISTORY OF PALAZZO DEL PODESTA At the beginning of the 13th century, the Municipality of Bologna expropriated several buildings to create the wonderful Piazza Maggiore, and erected the first complex of palaces destined for public administration, starting with Palazzo del Podesta. Proving insufficient for the needs of the city’s government, between 1244 and 1246, Palazzo Re Enzo was built as an extension of Palazzo del Podesta. In 1453, Aristotile Fioravanti renovated the Romanesque facade of the palace in a Renaissance style, at the behest of Giovanni II Bentivoglio, although he never finished the work due to the expulsion of the Bentivoglio family from the city. The great Hall of the Podesta (Salone del Podesta), located on the upper floor, once a courtroom, was used from 1581 to 1767 as a public theater, and, later, as a playing field for ball games. Salone del Podesta was completely frescoed by Adolfo De Carolis at the beginning of the 20th century, with The Glories of the City of Bologna. Today, Palazzo del Podesta is a prestigious venue Read more [...]

The Campanile di San Marco is the bell tower of the Cathedral of San Marco, the Cathedral of Pordenone. The bell tower is located a few meters away from the church, in Piazza San Marco, near the southern end of Corso Vittorio Emanuele II.   SHORT HISTORY The construction of the bell tower was begun in 1291 and completed in 1347, up to the belfry. The following year, an earthquake caused the collapse of the four large corner capitals adorning the belfry. Until 1544, the ground floor of the bell tower was used as a prison. In 1820, an order was issued to destroy the tower for safety reasons, but fortunately the order was not carried out. In 1862, the tower was coated with iron, and a few years later, in 1888, it was completely renovated. Other consolidation works were carried out after the earthquake of 1976.   ARCHITECTURE The bell tower is built entirely in terracotta, in Romanesque-Gothic style. The square body of the tower is defined by pilasters and corner pillars ending with blind round arches, up to the upper block marked by bands of rich horizontal decorations. Above the belfry, there is an octagonal cusp surmounted by Read more [...]

Palazzo Comunale, also known as Palazzo del Municipio, houses the Town Hall of Pordenone. The palace is located at the southern end of Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, in Piazza San Marco.   SHORT HISTORY The palace, originally called lozza, was built probably at the end of the 13th century, in the oldest and most elevated part of the town, near the Cathedral of San Marco and the port on the Noncello River. For a long time, the Loggia was used for justice and official meetings, and the upper hall was used as a warehouse, armory, or for theatrical performances and entertainment. In 1542, the facade of the palace was enriched with gothic pinnacles after a design by the painter Pomponio Amalteo, pupil and son-in-law of Giovanni Antonio de’ Sacchis, better known as Il Pordenone. In 1626, the council hall was adorned with the painting of Alessandro Varotari, Il Padovanino, representing San Marco and the Justice, commissioned specifically for this space. After 1800, the same hall hosted other works of art, and became the city’s art gallery until the establishment of the Palazzo Ricchieri Museum in 1970. In the 1920s, the council decided to expand the palace, to gather in one Read more [...]

The Church of San Giorgio is a beautiful church in Pordenone, located in Largo San Giorgio, in the northern part of the historical center of the town.   SHORT HISTORY A small chapel dedicated to San Giorgio is mentioned in the will of Ricchiero Ricchieri, dated back to 1347, through which he provided a sum of money for its maintenance. In 1588, following the growth of the city, the chapel was elevated to a parish. The church was enlarged in 1625, and again starting with 1792 on the initiative of Don Lorenzo Grigoletti, uncle of the painter Michelangelo Grigoletti. The church was completed only in 1873, when the monument was consecrated and the Neoclassical facade designed by the Pordenone artist Giovanni Battista Bassi was finished. The bell tower, begun in 1852 to a design by the same architect, was completed only in 1914. In 1975, a general restoration of the church was carried out, with the reconstruction of the roof, the external plaster and the exterior painting. The church was inaugurated on Christmas 1975, but the 1976 earthquake caused further damages to its structure. Between 2001 and 2002, the building underwent further consolidation and conservative restoration.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE Read more [...]

Palazzo Badini is a beautiful palace in Pordenone, located in Piazza Cavour, near the northern end of the Corso Vittorio Emanuele II.   SHORT HISTORY The noble Badini family moved from Bergamo to Pordenone at the beginning of the 16th century. After receiving the title of Count in 1710, the family participated in the public and administrative life of the city, holding the office of podestà (chief magistrate) many times. The palace was built at their behest in the late 17th-early 18th century. In 1782, the palace was ready to receive the hereditary prince of Russia, Pavel Romanov and his wife Sofia of Württemberg, but the couple preferred to stay overnight in a modest inn, not far away from the palace. During the 19th century, the building was the seat of the Austrian court, during the Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom. Subsequently, the palace passed from one owner to another, until it was purchased between 1926 and 1933 by Credito Veneto. Later, the palace was aquired by Banca Cattolica del Veneto, by Banco Ambrosiano Veneto and finally by Banca Popolare FriulAdria. Following a major renovation carried out between 1971 and 1973, the ground floor was completely changed from its original layout. To make Read more [...]

The Cathedral of San Marco, known also as the Duomo di San Marco, is the Cathedral of Pordenone, dedicated to Saint Mark. The cathedral is located in the historical center of the town, in Piazza San Marco, a few meters from the Communal Palace.   SHORT HISTORY The Cathedral of Saint Mark was built starting from the second half of the 13th century, in Romanesque-Gothic style, on the remains of a previous church. The imposing bell tower was completed in 1347, and raised to 79.47 meters in the 17th century, when the spire was added. The first restoration interventions were carried out in 1938. Later, in 1940, the 15th century frescoes were found in the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul and the Resurrection fresco in the sacristy. The first global restoration project of the entire cathedral began in 1956 and was carried out on several steps, also by demolishing some surrounding buildings. Inside, the decoration of the dome of the transept was brought to light. Between 1965 and 1975, the floor was restored, under which some tombstones were found. On this occasion, the roof of the nave was rehabilitated following the original construction schemes. After the 1976 Friuli earthquake, Read more [...]

Corso Vittorio Emanuele II is the main artery of the historical center of Pordenone. The street, with its relatively sinuous course, invites you to stroll under the shelter of its arcades, being the perfect route for the local passeggiata (a leisurely walk, taken especially in the evening in Italian cities).   SHORT HISTORY Once, the street was named Contrada Maggiore, and it connected the two main city gates: Porta de Soto (or Furlana), towards the river, and Porta de Sora (or Trevisana), near Piazza Cavour, both demolished in the 19th century.   ARCHITECTURE The pedestrian street starts from Piazza Cavour, towards the Noncello River, and ends about 450 meters away, in front of the Communal Palace (Palazzo Comunale), near the Cathedral of San Marco. The power of the ancient Pordenone is still visible on the street, in the sequence of buildings belonging to the noble families of the past… Walking from Piazza Cavour, on the western side of the street, at No. 10, there is Casa Simoni, built in the 14th century. The house, with two floors, has a frescoed facade with two windows with trefoil arches in Gothic style, flanking the city’s coat of arms. At No. 44, we Read more [...]

The Loggia di San Giovanni, also known as the Porch of Saint John (Porticato di San Giovanni), is a historical monument located in Piazza della Libertà, in Udine.   SHORT HISTORY Initially, in Piazza della Libertà, there was the Church of San Giovanni which, after the earthquake of 1511, was demolished and rebuilt by the Lombard architect Bernardino da Morcote. In addition to rebuilding the church, Bernardino da Morcote designed the homonymous Loggia. Bernardino da Morcote had to face various difficulties during the building of the porch, because the new Loggia and the church had to lean on the already existing clock tower. The Loggia, after years of neglect, was completely renovated in the second half of the 19th century, returning to its original splendor. In 1917, the Austrians occupied Udine and transformed the Loggia of San Giovanni into a guard post. On November 3, 1918, Udine was liberated from the Austrian dominion. In 1921, Raimondo D’Aronco planned the restructuring of the church, transforming it into the Pantheon of the Fallen of the First World War. The works ended in December 1926.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE The Porch of San Giovanni consists of a colonnade with a triumphal arch in Read more [...]

The Church of San Francesco is one of the oldest churches in Udine, now deconsecrated and used for temporary exhibitions. The church is located in Piazza Girolamo Venerio, about 160 meters away from the Cathedral of Udine and about 350 meters away from the Loggia del Lionello.   SHORT HISTORY The presence of the first Franciscan convent in Udine is documented in 1259. The consecration of the Church of San Francesco, built nearby, dates back to July 1266, and was celebrated by Alberto da Colle, the bishop of Concordia. In 1769, the Municipality of Udine acquired the convent with the intention of turning it into a hospital. The convent was used as a hospital until 1920s, while the Church of San Francesco was used as a deposit. The church was heavily damaged by the bombing of the Second World War, then restored. In the last few decades, the church was used for temporary exhibitions, especially by local artists. The convent, on the other hand, was first used as a history museum and, after a long and heavy restoration, it became the Court of Udine.   ARCHITECTURE The church is a simple Romanesque construction, following the strict Franciscan rules – gabled Read more [...]

Casa Veneziana (Venetian House), also known as Palazzetto, is a Venetian palace in Udine, located on the eastern side of Piazza XX Settembre, about 350 meters away from Piazza della Libertà.   SHORT HISTORY The palace was built in the 15th century for the Montegnacco family, in Via Rialto, near the Loggia del Lionello. In January 1910, for the construction of the new Town Hall, the demolition of the existing buildings between Via Rialto and Via Cavour was planned. After a heated debate on whether to demolish the palazzo, perhaps the only remaining vestige from the Venetian era in Udine, it was decided to preserve this ancient building, at least in the original elements of the facade. Casa Veneziana was thus disassembled and later, in 1929, it was reassembled in Piazza XX Settembre, where is currently located. Some frescoes were lost.   ARCHITECTURE The facade of the palace, built in Venetian-Gothic style, is structured on three levels, with alternating mullioned windows of various shapes. The main portal is surmounted by a three-light window and a small balcony. The attic has four rectangular windows.   HOW TO GET THERE Casa Veneziana is located about 900 meters away from the Udine railway Read more [...]

Piazza Giacomo Matteotti, also known as Piazza San Giacomo or Mercato Nuovo (New Market), is a beautiful square in Udine, located about 120 meters away from Piazza della Libertà and Loggia del Lionello.   SHORT HISTORY Piazza San Giacomo is the oldest square in Udine after Piazza della Libertà. The square appeared in the 13th century to house the new city market, hence the name Mercato Nuovo. After the Second World War, the square was named after the deputy Giacomo Matteotti, assassinated by Fascists in 1924. Until the 1980s, the square was a rather infamous area. Today, home to numerous bars and restaurants, Piazza Giacomo Matteotti is the heart of the nightlife in Udine and one of the busiest places in the city.   ARCHITECTURE The square is surrounded by buildings dating back to the Middle Ages. Some of the buildings are still embellished by frescoes with geometric and floral decorations. The central part of the square has a large base of stone blocks. In the center of the square, there is a fountain built in 1543 by the stonemason Mastro Cipriano, on a project by the famous architect Giovanni da Udine. Also in the square, we can find the Read more [...]

The Church of San Giacomo is a church in Udine, located in Piazza Giacomo Matteotti, about 230 meters away from Piazza della Libertà and Loggia del Lionello.   SHORT HISTORY The structure was built in 1378, initially as a chapel, which was later enlarged. The facade of the church dates back to 1525, and was built by the architect and sculptor Bernardino da Morcote.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE On the facade, above the main portal of the church, there is a balcony and two mullioned windows. Above the balcony, we can find the clock, surmounted by the belfry. The interior of the church was heavily transformed during the Baroque period. The ceiling was decorated by Pietro Venier with Stories of Saint James. Inside, we can find beautiful works of art. Placed on the first altar on the right, there is The Virgin with Saints Apollonia and Agata by Fulvio Griffoni, dating back to the 17th century. On the second altar on the right, there is San Fabio interceding for souls in purgatory, a work by Pietro Venier dating back to the 18th century. On the first altar on the left, we can find The Virgin surrounded by saints by Antonio Read more [...]

The Cathedral of Santa Maria Annunziata is the cathedral of Udine. The church is located in Piazza del Duomo, about 150 meters away from Piazza della Libertà and Loggia del Lionello.   SHORT HISTORY The works on the cathedral began in 1236, at the behest of the patriarch of Aquileia, Bertoldo of Andechs-Merania. At first, the church was dedicated to Saint Odoric. In 1257, the building was already open for worship. In 1335, it was consecrated with the title of Santa Maria Maggiore. The disastrous earthquake of 1348 caused serious damage to the cathedral, but did not stop its religious activity. Only in 1368, the Venetian architect Pierpaolo dalle Masegne was called for the restoration of the church. He strengthened the walls, rebuilt the roof and made changes to the facade, including the replacement of the central rose window. Also, the two minor rose windows, corresponding to the side aisles, were modified, by inserting a fake loggia decoration between them. In the 18th century, the cathedral was almost completely transformed by the architect Domenico Rossi. In 1735, when the works were completed, the patriarch Daniele Delfino rededicated the church to Santa Maria Annunziata.   ARCHITECTURE The main portal, called the Read more [...]

Piazza della Libertà, also known as Piazza Libertà, is the oldest square in Udine, located in the valley below the Castle of Udine.   SHORT HISTORY Piazza Libertà changed its name several times over the centuries. During the Middle Ages, the square was known as Piazza del Vino (Square of the Wine). In 1350, after the town council established there, the square took the name of Piazza del Comune, and after 1500, with the arrival of the Venetians, it took the name of one of the lieutenants, becoming Piazza Contarena. After the unification of Friuli with Italy in 1866, the square was dedicated to Vittorio Emanuele II. An equestrian monument dedicated to the King was inaugurated on August 26, 1883, and transfered in 1947 to the Ricasoli Gardens. Only after the Second World War, the square was named Piazza della Libertà.   ARCHITECTURE The most important building in the square is the Town Hall, Loggia del Lionello, a palace in Venetian Gothic style, built between 1448 and 1457 after a design by Nicolò Lionello. Opposite the Town Hall, we can find the Loggia di San Giovanni, built in 1533 by the Lombard architect Bernardino da Morcote. As an integral part Read more [...]

Loggia del Lionello is a palace in Udine, located in the historical center of the city, in Piazza della Libertà. The palazzo owes its name to the architect Nicolò Lionello, who completed its contruction.   SHORT HISTORY In January 24, 1441, the Municipality of Udine proposed the construction of a new building for the City Council. The work began in 1448, and the architects nominated to take care of the construction were Nicolò dei Bombeni, Raimondo della Torre, Giovanni Rainoldi and Nicolò Lionello. Until Lionello’s death in 1462, the construction of the Loggia was completed and the first meeting of the City Council took place inside the building in 1455. A new phase of work began at the end of the 15th century, more precisely on March 20, 1492, when the Council approved the acquisition and integration of the houses behind the loggia as municipal property. Shortly afterwards, the Council approved the demolition of these houses, for the enlargement and improvement of the building. On March 26, 1511, an earthquake struck Friuli, destroying numerous buildings including the Loggia. The repair works were started, however, only in 1516, and the restoration was entrusted to the lieutenant Leonardo Emo. In July 1521, Read more [...]

Palazzo Stratti, also known as the Casa Stratti (Stratti House), is a palace in Trieste, located in Piazza Unità d’Italia.   SHORT HISTORY The palace was built in 1839 at the behest of the merchant Nicolò Stratti, who entrusted the project to the architect Antonio Buttazzoni, one of the most appreciated designers in the city at the time. In 1846, due to some economic difficulties, Stratti was forced to sell the building to Assicurazioni Generali, the current owner. In the same period, the historic Caffè degli Specchi was inaugurated on the ground floor of the building. In the following decades, the Neoclassical aspect of the building was modified by the restorations carried out by the architects Andrea Seu, Eugenio Geiringer and Giovanni Righetti. Andrea Seu made changes to the facades, inserting pilasters and giving them a more symmetrical appearance, by raising the side bodies and changing the position of the balconies. In 1872, Geiringer and Righetti made a series of changes to the facade overlooking Piazza Unità d’Italia, which became more important in the context of the urban transformation of the square in the second part of the 19th century.   ART AND ARCHITECTURE The building is characterized by a Read more [...]