Piazza San Prospero

Known to residents as Piazza Piccola, Piazza San Prospero is a historic square beside the basilica of Reggio Emilia's patron saint. Its porticoes, unfinished bell tower and six sculpted lions frame a smaller civic space connected to the main piazza by a vaulted passage.

Why it matters

The square took shape in the late tenth century, when Bishop Teuzone established a church dedicated to San Prospero behind the cathedral. It remains closely tied to the city's religious history and civic life. The name Piasa Ceca reflects its familiar scale beside the broader Piazza Grande.

What to notice

Six marble lions stand before the Baroque façade of the Basilica di San Prospero. The lions are probably Romanesque, and their bases are attributed to Gaspare Bigi. The façade, designed by Giovanni Battista Cattani in the mid-eighteenth century, is crowned by statues of saints and Doctors of the Church. Beside it rises the basilica's unfinished octagonal bell tower, designed by Cristoforo Ricci and reworked by Giulio Romano. Vicolo Broletto, a vaulted passage opened in 1488, connects the square to Piazza Prampolini.

Context and history

The square developed alongside the basilica and the cult of San Prospero. Tradition credits the fifth-century bishop with saving the city from Attila's Huns by summoning a protective fog. Porticoes and later buildings formed the square's present frame. Its patronal feast on 24 November remains part of its civic calendar.