Piazza Cavour

Piazza Cavour is Rimini's historic civic square, framed by medieval town palaces, the Renaissance Fontana della Pigna, the former fish market and Teatro Galli. Its buildings preserve the city's political, commercial and cultural history.

Why it matters

The square served as the centre of Rimini's public life for centuries. The Palazzo dell'Arengo housed the council, the Palazzo del Podestà was associated with justice, and the Este court's palace stood opposite the cathedral. The fountain, theatre and market add later layers to the same civic space.

What to notice

In front of the Arengo, Giovanni da Carrara's 1543 Fontana della Pigna has a broad basin divided by slender columns. An inscription recalls Leonardo da Vinci's praise of the sound of its water. The frieze of arms and trophies on the upper basin is thought to have come from an ancient temple of Mars. Nearby, Pope Paul V's statue, modelled by Nicolas Cordier and cast by Sebastiano Sebastiani in 1613, was disguised as Saint Gaudenzio in 1797 and restored to its papal identity in 1936. The 1747 fish market, designed by Giovan Francesco Buonamici, preserves its historic counter line.

Context and history

Known in the Middle Ages as Piazza del Comune, the square concentrated civic administration while religious life centred nearby. The Arengo housed the General Council and later served as the city's theatre until Teatro Galli opened in 1857. The Palazzo della Ragione burned and was rebuilt in the 1950s, retaining its medieval silhouette. A clock tower marks the former site of the notaries' lodge. The square's palaces now also house PART, Rimini's contemporary art museum.