Palazzo della Giustizia, Courthouse building in Bolzano, Italy.

Palazzo della Giustizia is a courthouse in Bolzano defined by clean lines and functional design typical of Rationalist architecture. The building organizes judicial spaces with straightforward layouts and unornamented surfaces that prioritize practicality.

Construction of the Palazzo della Giustizia began in 1939 as part of a fascist plan to group political, judicial and religious power around the new square. Work stopped in 1942 because of the war and resumed in 1951; the unfinished building housed the first post-war Bolzano trade fair on 12 September 1948. President Giovanni Gronchi inaugurated it on 15 September 1956, and in December 2017 it passed from the state to the Autonomous Province of Bolzano.

The Latin inscription above the eight-pillar colonnade refers to the fascist colonial empire proclaimed in 1936, and the gable relief by Alcide Ticò shows Justitia without a blindfold, gazing across the square toward the equestrian Mussolini on the opposite facade. The two stelae at the foot of the entrance stair carry medallions of Roman and Italian jurists such as Julian, Cicero, Papinian and Modestin.

The building is accessible during weekdays, though access may be limited to official business hours and certain areas. Visitors should be aware that active court proceedings take place and some sections may not be open to the public.

The building was designed under fascism but opened only after World War II under entirely different political conditions. This historical rupture shapes how the structure has been understood and used since then.