Palace of Reason

The Palazzo della Ragione is one of the most important medieval public buildings in Verona, built between the 12th and 13th centuries as the seat of the municipal courts and city administration. The palace overlooks Piazza delle Erbe, the ancient Roman forum transformed into a medieval market, and rises majestically with its red brick facade decorated with Gothic mullioned windows and Ghibelline merlons that bear witness to Venetian municipal architecture. The palace is connected to the Lamberti Tower, the 84-metre civic bell tower that dominates the historic centre, accessible via the Renaissance internal courtyard called Cortile del Mercato Vecchio.

A scenic external Gothic staircase, called the Scala della Ragione, connects the square to the noble floor of the palace where the courtrooms were located. The name "della Ragione" derives precisely from its judicial function: here "reason" was administered, that is, municipal justice. Today the palace houses the Achille Forti Gallery of Modern Art, a permanent collection of Italian painting and sculpture of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries with works by Venetian and national artists.

The frescoed halls of the noble floor, with wooden coffered ceilings and Renaissance decorations, create an evocative atmosphere for the artistic exhibition. From the palace one can also access the tower to enjoy the 360° panorama over medieval Verona.

Medieval municipal construction and the judicial function of the palace

The Palazzo della Ragione was built starting from 1193 as the seat of the municipal magistracies of Verona, a period in which the city was governed by the communal system before the rise of the Scaliger lordship. The palace served as a civil and criminal court: in the great halls of the noble floor judges, notaries and consuls met to administer justice, settle commercial disputes, judge crimes and manage public administration. The building was enlarged several times between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries under the Scaligeri who made it the heart of the city's judicial power.

The Scala della Ragione, the monumental external Gothic staircase, was added in the 14th century to allow solemn access to the courtroom. The palace remained a judicial seat until the nineteenth century, then was transformed into an exhibition and museum space while maintaining the historical name that recalls its centuries-old function of "administration of reason", that is, of justice.

The architecture of the Palazzo della Ragione reflects the medieval and Renaissance construction phases. The main facade overlooking Piazza delle Erbe features exposed red bricks, Gothic mullioned windows with ogival arches, Ghibelline merlons (swallow-tail) and white stone decorations that liven up the surface. The palace develops on three floors around the internal courtyard.

The Cortile del Mercato Vecchio, so called because it housed an ancient covered market, is a Renaissance jewel added in the 16th century: an elegant portico with columns, round arches, stone balustrades and the staircase to access the tower. From the courtyard one can admire the mighty base of the Lamberti Tower rising 84 metres. The interior rooms of the noble floor preserve wooden coffered ceilings, sixteenth-century frescoes with noble coats of arms and decorations that bear witness to the prestige of the public building.

Since 1982 the Palazzo della Ragione has housed the Achille Forti Gallery of Modern Art, named after the Veronese collector who donated his collection of nineteenth-century paintings to the city. The permanent collection displays works by Italian artists of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries: romantic landscapes, portraits, still lifes and genre scenes that document the evolution of modern Italian painting. Particular attention is paid to Venetian and Veronese artists.

The palace also hosts temporary exhibitions of contemporary art, photography and design that attract thousands of visitors every year. The frescoed historic halls dialogue harmoniously with the works on display, creating a museum itinerary that unites medieval architecture and modern art. During special events such as the Night of the Museums, the palace offers extraordinary night openings with theatrical guided tours and concerts in the courtyards.