Signori Square

Piazza dei Signori, also called Piazza Dante for the statue of the poet that dominates it, is the political and cultural heart of medieval Verona. Located just steps from Piazza delle Erbe and connected to it by narrow covered passages, this elegant intimate square represents the centre of power during the lordship of the Scaligeri (13th-14th century) and still today preserves monumental palaces that bear witness to the greatness of that era.

The square is surrounded by historic buildings of extraordinary value: the Palazzo del Comune (also known as Palazzo della Ragione) with its Lamberti Tower, the Renaissance Loggia del Consiglio, the Palazzo del Governo (the ancient Scaliger residence), and the Palazzo del Capitanio. At the centre of the square stands the statue of Dante Alighieri, inaugurated in 1865, which celebrates the Veronese sojourn of the exiled poet.

The intimate and elegant atmosphere of the square, with its porticoes and frescoed facades, makes it one of the most evocative and photographed places in Verona.

The Scaliger power square

Piazza dei Signori became the political centre of Verona during the lordship of the Della Scala family (1262-1387), when the Scaliger lords concentrated here the main buildings of power: the municipal palace where justice was administered, the lordly residence, and the administrative offices. Before the Scaliger era, this area was occupied by Roman buildings and medieval constructions without any unitary planning.

It was Cangrande I della Scala (1291-1329), the greatest of the Veronese lords, who gave the square the monumental appearance it still preserves today. Cangrande had built or renovated the palaces that surround the square, creating a representative space worthy of one of the most powerful lordships in northern Italy.

The square became the place where official ceremonies were celebrated, ambassadors were received, and public justice was administered.

The Palazzo della Ragione, built in the 12th century and enlarged by the Scaligeri, housed the courts and city magistracies. Its imposing mass still dominates the east side of the square today. On the opposite side was built the residence of the lords of Della Scala, a fortified palace that communicated directly with the Scaliger Tombs, the family's funerary monuments located in the immediate vicinity.

This concentration of political, judicial and residential power made Piazza dei Signori the true throbbing heart of Scaliger Verona.

Dante Alighieri stayed in Verona in two periods (1303-1304 and 1312-1318) as a guest of the Della Scala family after being exiled from Florence. Here the poet found protection and support, and here he wrote important parts of the Divine Comedy, in particular the Paradiso. Cangrande I became the dedicatee of the Paradiso and Dante celebrated the generosity of the Scaliger family in several cantos.

The bond between Dante and Verona remains one of the most significant episodes of the city's cultural history.

With the fall of the Scaligeri in 1387 and the advent of the Republic of Venice (1405-1797), Piazza dei Signori maintained its function as an administrative centre but partially changed its appearance. The Venetians built the Loggia del Consiglio (1476-1493), an elegant Renaissance building that housed the City Council appointed by the Serenissima. The loggia, with its arcaded portico and frescoed facade, represents one of the finest examples of Venetian Renaissance architecture.

During the centuries of Venetian rule, the square continued to be the place of official ceremonies, public proclamations and city festivals.

The Lion of Saint Mark, symbol of the Venetian Republic, was placed on various buildings of the square (many were later removed after the fall of Venice in 1797). The square maintained its elegance and its central role in Veronese public life through the centuries.

In 1865, on the occasion of the sixth centenary of Dante's birth (1265-1321), the statue of the poet was inaugurated at the centre of Piazza dei Signori, the work of the Veronese sculptor Ugo Zannoni. The statue, in Carrara marble, depicts Dante standing, wrapped in his mantle, with a thoughtful gaze turned upwards and a book in his hand. The inauguration was accompanied by great celebrations with the participation of cultural personalities from all over Italy, underlining the importance of the link between Dante and Verona.

The square thus also took on the popular name of "Piazza Dante", while officially maintaining the name of Piazza dei Signori.

The statue immediately became one of the symbols of the city and a point of reference for Veronese and visitors. During the period of the Risorgimento and after the Unification of Italy, the figure of Dante was celebrated as a symbol of Italian cultural unity, and his presence in Verona recalled the historical ties between the different Italian cities.

In the 20th century, the square was the subject of restorations affecting the historic palaces, freeing them from nineteenth-century additions and bringing them back as much as possible to the original medieval and Renaissance appearance. The frescoes on the facades were restored, the porticoes consolidated, and the paving redone with traditional stones.

Today Piazza dei Signori is one of the places most loved by the Veronese for its intimate and elegant character, and continues to host cultural events, concerts and public events that keep alive its vocation as a square of the community.