Piazza dei Signori
Piazza dei Signori is a large public square in the heart of Padua surrounded by historic buildings with porticoes and courtyards that define the city center. The square features the church of San Clemente on one end with its bell tower, the Palazzo del Capitano on the other with its clock tower, and a perimeter of multi-story houses with ornate facades, arched walkways, and decorative iron railings.
The square was created in the 1300s when an older district was demolished to establish a new public space centered around the prominent clock tower. Over the centuries it experienced destruction and reconstruction, particularly under Venetian rule, and its architecture was repeatedly updated, most notably with the replacement of brick pavement with dark stone slabs in the 1700s.
The square has served as a gathering place for the community for many centuries, where locals and visitors meet to shop, chat, and experience daily life together. The name refers to the rulers who made important decisions here, and this civic role remains visible today through the way people naturally use the open space for informal meetings and social moments.
The square is located in the pedestrian zone of Padua and is easy to explore on foot, especially in the morning when markets are set up. The ground is paved with stone and can be slippery when wet, so comfortable shoes with good grip are recommended.
A fascinating detail is that at the base of the clock tower there are two niches with statues of Saint Prosdocimus and Saint Anthony, which were hidden during historical conflicts between church and state and were only restored in the 1990s. These figures tell the story of hidden layers of city history beneath today's surface.
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