Piazza dei Signori - Piazza Dante, Verona

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Just a few steps away from Piazza delle Erbe, there is another piazza that is sometimes called "Piazza dei Signori", since it is surrounded by numerous palazzi that once belonged to the Scaligeri family, and sometimes "Piazza Dante", because a statue of the famous Italian poet sits at the centre of the piazza. The statue, which was installed in 1865, commemorates the fact that when Dante Alighieri was condemned to perpetual exile from his native Florence at the beginning of the 14th century, he was invited to live in Verona by Cangrande I.

The piazza itself does not offer the same kind of atmosphere as Piazza delle Erbe - there are a few restaurants, but they looked expensive, not exactly the kind of place where you casually sit down and order a couple drinks. The architecture of the different palazzi that surround the piazza, all linked with arches, is quite impressive. It's especially worth ducking into the inner courtyard of the Palazzo della Ragione. This palazzo, which has been used for different civic purposes thoughout the years, such as city hall, court of justice and prison, dates back to the 12th century. Its most striking feature, the grand staircase that leads to the upper level, was added in 1447.

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Built atop an earlier Roman square, the Piazza dei Signori was the center of the Renaissance in Verona. It's also known as the Piazza Dante, for its statue of the great Italian poet. This statue was erected here because Dante stayed here for a period.

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Piazza Del Sigorni is a part of Piazza Erbe, or visa versa. They both are side by side, and the Palazzo Commune, or municipal hall is the focal point of the square. The building now has a 19th century facing even though it was from the 1100's. There were four towers on the edges, but only trow stand now; one Lamberti. Domus Mercatorum was built in 1301 by Alberto della Scala. The Scalgeri Palace with the crenelated top is from the 12th century, and the picture is of the tower with the family crest emblem. At the other end of the square is Palazzo Maffei, with the statues ringing the top, and adjacent Guardello tower form the 14th century. The Piazza Erbe means herbs and the market has been here for centuries. The market commune building is intended for the citizens for centuries.

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CAlled tower of the city. Construction began in 1172. After lightning hitting the top in 1403, and damaging it to not be repaired, they rebuilt the tower, but higher. Restoration took 15 years, and done in 1464. The tower is 84 meters tall, and the clock is only from 1779. This tower was used for signaling to the city residents of fires, and called the meeting for City council. There is 238 steps to the top, and it is worth it. Or you can take an elevator. There are three different levels to reach the top for great pictures and the top is very windy. You can stand right next to the bells, and they do ring, so beware.
Tickets are 5 Euro each, or we used a Verona card for multiple access to sites, museums, and churches. The cost is 16 Euro.

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Palazzo del Comune is on the right entering from Piazza delle Erbe. The Romanesque facade of this building received considerable additions during the Renaissance period. It has the distinctive alternating bands of brick and stonework which can be considered the leitmotiv of the city as a whole.
Next to it stands a tall crenellated tower dating back to the second half of the 14th century.

“Lords’ Square” shows no signs of Roman times, even though it is very near to the ancient court, which later became “Market Square”, Piazza delle Erbe.
For the history of this place, you have to start from the Scala family seigniory, bearing in mind, however, that in the square there were already the Municipal Palace and the Domus Nova. At the end of the XIII century, the square (which was then called Platea Domini vicarii), did not have today’s rectangular form; neither the palace that is now called the Palace of the Courts, nor the Palace of Government.

Piazza dei Signori is surrounded by buildings and monuments of great historical and architectural importance. For the most important monuments (the City Hall, the Loggia of the Council, the Palace of the government, please read the special cards on the following pages.

The most important monument in the Piazza dei Signori is probably the Loggia del Consiglio, built between 1476 and 1493.

It’s crowned by the statues of Catullus, Pliny, Marcus, Vitruvius and Cornelius Nepos by Alberto da Milano.

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This elegant square is surrounded by several palaces, including the Palazzo del Comune, Palazzo del Capitano and Palazzo degli Scaligeri, which has close associations with Dante.

Dante's monument is found here as well, in the centre. The work of Ugo Zannoni was completed in 1865.