Piazza dei Signori

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About Piazza dei Signori

Piazza dei Signori originated in the Middle Ages around the palaces of the Scaligeri, the Della Scala family who ruled Verona in the 13th and 14th centuries. The buildings are linked by arches and loggias, giving the square the feel of an open-air hall. In the center stands the statue of Dante Alighieri, who lived in Verona as a guest of Cangrande I della Scala; for this reason many call the place Piazza Dante.

Around the square are the Palazzo della Ragione, from the late 12th century, with its red marble staircase in the courtyard, the Palazzo di Cansignorio, the Scaligeri seat of power later used by the Venetians, and the Palazzo del Podestà, where the Venetians put the lion of São Marco in 1404. The Loggia del Consiglio, from the late 15th century, features statues of notable Romans born in Verona, such as the poet Catullus.

A few meters away, beside the small Romanesque church of Santa Maria Antica, are the Arche Scaligere, the ensemble of the family's Gothic tombs. Above the church door is the tomb of Cangrande I, with the equestrian statue; the sarcophagi of Mastino II and of Cansignorio rise within a wrought-iron enclosure decorated with ladders, the family's symbol. You can see everything from outside through the railings.