Piazza dei Contrari

Piazza dei Contrari forms the historic centre of Vignola's Castelvecchio quarter, framed by the Rocca, Palazzo Barozzi and the Loggiato.

Why it matters

The square expresses the architectural legacy of the Contrari family, who held Vignola under Este investiture and reshaped the town in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Fortress, residence and portico form a unified civic space.

What to notice

The Rocca closes one side with its defensive mass. Opposite stands the palace associated with the Contrari and Boncompagni families, also known as Palazzo Barozzi. The long Loggiato gives the piazza its arcaded character; the parish church of Santi Nazario e Celso reflects the same urban transformation.

Context and history

After the Este invested the Contrari with the fief in 1401, the parish church was moved to make room for the Rocca's expansion. Around 1560 Ercole il Vecchio Contrari commissioned Palazzo Contrari-Boncompagni opposite the fortress; eleven houses were demolished as the square was enlarged. The Boncompagni-Ludovisi acquired Vignola in 1577.