Piazza del Duomo (Piazza Prampolini)

Piazza del Duomo, also known as Piazza Prampolini and Piazza Grande, is the historic civic and religious centre of Reggio Emilia. The cathedral, baptistery and Town Hall face one another across the square, where the Sala del Tricolore commemorates the adoption of the Italian flag in 1797.

Why it matters

The square brings together religious, civic and commercial landmarks. Santa Maria Assunta Cathedral and the Baptistery of San Giovanni Battista mark its ecclesiastical side; the Palazzo Comunale houses the Sala del Tricolore, where delegates adopted the green, white and red flag on 7 January 1797. Arcades and historic palaces around the square recall its commercial role. Its official name honours Camillo Prampolini, a Reggio politician and socialist deputy, while Piazza Grande remains a familiar local name.

What to notice

The main buildings around the square include the Palazzo delle Notarie and the Palazzo del Monte di Pietà, also known as the Palazzo del Podestà, with the Torre dell'Orologio. The Torre del Bordello adds another medieval landmark. At the centre, the Fontana del Crostolo bears a statue representing the stream; it was moved here from the former Palazzo Ducale di Rivalta.

Vicolo Broletto opens beneath an arch on the square's edge. The passage, opened in 1488, bears a Latin inscription and leads toward Piazza San Prospero. The square's market tradition continues its long role as a place of civic and commercial life.

Context and history

The square developed over centuries rather than as a single planned ensemble. The cathedral and baptistery mark its older episcopal history; the municipal palace was built beside them as the commune's seat. The hall that became the Sala del Tricolore was built in the 1770s as an archive before its historic role in the proclamation of the Cispadane Republic in 1797. The square's layered buildings preserve Reggio Emilia's religious, political and commercial history.