Palazzo della Ragione, Medieval palace in central Verona, Italy

The Palazzo della Ragione is a palace in Verona between Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza dei Signori. Its walls alternate bands of red brick and pale stone; a stone staircase with a balustrade climbs to an arched portico, and pointed arches open below. The building has a quadrangular plan with a central courtyard surrounded by porticoes.

After the 1117 earthquake, Verona's government built this palace as one of Italy's earliest public buildings. It served as the city's town hall for centuries and became a symbol of civic independence.

The name "della Ragione" comes from the judicial courts that sat here from 1492, when the city council moved to the Loggia on Piazza dei Signori. The ground-floor rooms facing Piazza delle Erbe were privatised under Venetian rule and used as dwellings, shops and warehouses. Since 2007 the palace has housed the Galleria d'arte moderna Achille Forti, named after the Veronese benefactor.

The building is open Tuesday through Sunday, and visitors can explore both the interior rooms and the central courtyard. It is best to arrive in the morning to avoid crowds and see the architecture in better light.

The 1226 renewal of the Lombard League was signed in the palace on 11 April, when delegates from Emilia, Lombardy, Piedmont and the Veneto met and extended the alliance for a further 25 years. The league had first been formed in 1167 against Frederick Barbarossa.