Walk in the footsteps of the ancient Lords of Verona at Piazza dei Signori. This was the administrative center of medieval Verona, a grandiose square framed by architectural wonders and set at the heart of the atmospheric Città Antica. Piazza dei Signori is often called Piazza Dante by locals, a reference to the statue of the poet Dante Alighieri. Dante came to Verona in the 1300s after being banished from Florence.
Entering the square from the western side you pass through the Arco della Costa gateway, from which an unexplained whale bone has hung since the 1700s. Immediately to the right is the Romanesque-style Palazzo della Ragione, the only building of the square that is open to the public. Once the site of court rooms and customs offices, today it houses the Achille Forti Gallery of Modern Art where you can see works by Alessandro Marchesini and Guido Trentini, among other Italian artists.
The square is a visual masterpiece on all four sides. Admire the Renaissance facade of Palazzo del Capitano and see Roman ruins through round windows set in the pavement outside the building. Loggia del Consiglio was built as the council chambers and dazzles with its loggia, fragments of frescoes and statues of famous Verona residents. Note the sculpture of the winged Lion of St. Mark above the entrance of Palazzo Podestà, which was the home of Cangrande I, an Italian nobleman.
Climb, or take the elevator, to the top of the 276-feet (84-meter) tall Lamberti Tower for a bird’s-eye view of the square and Verona’s historic old town. Just off the square’s eastern corner is the Scaliger Tombs, which is a collection of mausoleums that belong to the noble Scaliger family.
Located in the Città Antica, Piazza dei Signori is about 1.4 miles (2.3 kilometers) away from Verona’s train station. Parking is limited in the Città Antica so it’s best to explore the area on foot. Adjacent to the square is Piazza delle Erbe, home to pavement cafés and a daily market.
