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 [...]
Tag: Renaissance in Verona
Church of San Giorgio in Braida
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
Porta San Giorgio, also known as Porta Trento, is a monumental gate in Verona, located in the northern part of the city, on the western bank of the Adige River. The name of the gate derives from nearby church of San Giorgio in Braida. SHORT HISTORY A first gate erected on this spot was commissioned by Cangrande I della Scala and built between 1321 and 1324 after a project by the architect Calzaro. In the 16th century, during the Venetian occupation, the gate was rebuilt as part of the reinforcement of the fortifications of Verona. The work began in 1525 and was completed one year later, in 1526, on a project traditionally attributed to Giovanni Maria Falconetto. However, the side facing the city remained unfinished and was only completed in 1840 by the Austro-Hungarians, under the direction of the Imperial Royal Office of Fortifications. ARCHITECTURE The facade of the gate facing the countryside, covered with polished white stone, resembling a triumphal arch, was built in Renaissance style. The composition is in Doric style, adorned with shields and commemorative plaques of the Venetian era. The 19th-century facade of the gate, facing the city, is covered with volcanic tuff, and Read more [...]
Loggia del Consiglio
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 [...]