Piazza dei Signori Historical Timeline

Origins

The square took shape in the thirteenth century as the seat of Treviso's communal government, when the city was an independent commune wealthy enough to build on this scale.

Turning points

After Treviso submitted to Venice in 1339 -- the Republic's first mainland conquest -- the square became the seat of Venetian administration, and the buildings around it were adapted rather than replaced.

Influential people

The Palazzo del Podestà and its tower, the Torre Civica, stand alongside the Palazzo dei Trecento, giving the square the full set of medieval civic functions: council hall, governor's residence and bell tower.

Cultural evolution

The arcades that ring the square are the same continuous porticoes found throughout Treviso, and made it usable as a market and meeting place in any weather.

Present-day significance

The 1944 bombing damaged the square badly and the Palazzo dei Trecento was largely rebuilt. It remains the point every street in the centre leads back to.