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About
Piazza dei Signori, also known as Piazza Dante, is a beautiful square located in the historical center of Verona, adjacent to Piazza delle Erbe.
SHORT HISTORY
The square was formed in the Middle Ages, and was gradually defined by the palaces that were built around it. The first building, erected near the end of the 12th century, was Palazzo della Ragione, followed between the 13th and 14th centuries by Palazzo del Capitanio and Palazzo del Podesta, both built by the powerful family of Della Scala, Lords of Verona.
From the beginning, the square assumed political and administrative functions, and became the most important place in the city during the Venetian domination.
Around the middle of the 17th century, a fountain was built by Pietro Tedesco in the center of the square. However, by the turn of the century, it was decided that the fountain was insufficient to decorate such a monumental square, and it was demolished.
In 1865, a new monument was built in the center of the square – the statue of the Italian poet Dante Aligheri, work of the sculptor Ugo Zannoni.
ARCHITECTURE
In the southern corner of the square, we can find Palazzo della Ragione, which was built at the end of the 12th century and was partly modified in the 19th century. In ancient times, the palace had four towers, of which only one remains today, the imposing Torre dei Lamberti.
Near the Palazzo della Ragione, on the eastern side of the square, there is the Palazzo di Cansignorio, also known as Palazzo del Capitanio, the seat of the Scaligeri and, later, of the Venetian administration. The palace has a beautiful facade designed probably by Michele Sanmicheli and a medieval tower.
Next, to the northwest of the square, we can find the Palazzo del Podesta, built also by the Della Scala family. The palace has the typical Ghibelline merlons and a beautiful portal surmounted by the Lion of Saint Mark, built by the Venetians in 1404.
Loggia del Consiglio, traditionally called Loggia of Fra’ Giocondo, is located in the northern part of the square, next to the Palazzo del Podesta. The building was commissioned by the Municipality of Verona for the meetings of the Patrician Council, and built beginning with 1476.
HOW TO GET THERE
Piazza dei Signori is located about 2.2 kilometers from the Verona Porta Nuova railway station. The closest bus stop is in Piazza Viviani, about 130 meters away, on the bus Lines 70, 96 and 97.
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