Piazza Ducale, Renaissance square in Vigevano, Italy
Piazza Ducale is a rectangular square in Vigevano with colonnades running along three sides, measuring 134 meters in length and 48 meters in width. The painted facades and symmetrical arrangement of arches give the space a unified appearance.
Duke Ludovico Sforza ordered the demolition of existing houses between 1492 and 1494 to create this open space beside the castle. In the 17th century, Juan Caramuel Lobkowitz added the concave Baroque facade on the eastern side.
The name recalls the time when dukes ruled the city and used this space as a forecourt to their residence. Today the arcades serve as a popular meeting place where people chat and browse the shops.
You can reach the square on foot from central Vigevano and find the shoe museum, cathedral, and castle all nearby. The arcades provide shade on hot days and shelter when it rains.
The concave passageway to the cathedral forms a visual curve that seems to pull the church forward. This unusual solution dates from the 17th century and joins two different architectural styles together.
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