Palazzo della Ragione

Bergamo's Palazzo della Ragione stands between Piazza Vecchia and Piazza Duomo in the Città Alta. Its arcaded lower level and great upper hall preserve the architectural presence of the medieval commune within the city's later civic centre.

Why it matters

Dating from the late twelfth century, the palace is among Lombardy's oldest surviving communal buildings. It helped separate the civic and religious precincts, but the square around it took shape gradually as other buildings were removed. The relationship between palace, open square and cathedral area records that long urban development.

What to notice

The portico contains an eighteenth-century solar instrument: light passes through an aperture to mark the date and zodiac sign on the floor at solar noon. Above is the Sala delle Capriate, named for its roof trusses. Surviving fragments from Bramante's 1477 painted decoration of the neighbouring Palazzo del Podestà connect the hall with another part of the square's artistic history.

Context and history

The palace served the civic administration of medieval Bergamo and remained important under Venetian rule. Changes to the surrounding buildings and later restoration reshaped its setting. Its upper hall's cultural uses add another chapter to the history of a building long associated with public life.