Buy tickets & tours:VivaTicket Palazzo della Ragione is one of the most important medieval civic buildings in Padua, located in the historic center between Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza della Frutta. The palace stands at the heart of the city’s market district, where political power, justice, commerce and public life met for centuries. Popularly known as Il Salone, the palace is famous for its immense upper hall, one of the largest raised halls in Europe. The ground floor still preserves the commercial function of the building through the historic Sotto il Salone market, active under the palace for about eight centuries. The palace is not only a landmark of medieval Padua, but also part of the wider UNESCO-recognized heritage of the city. Its frescoes belong to the group of Padua’s fourteenth-century fresco cycles, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2021 as a major testimony to medieval painting. Short History of Palazzo della Ragione The Medieval Origins of the Palace The construction of Palazzo della Ragione began in 1218, during the age of the Italian communes. The building was created to reorganize the market area and to provide Padua with a monumental seat for the administration of justice, Read more [...]