Piazza XX Settembre

Piazza XX Settembre brings together layers of Fano's history, from Roman remains beneath the paving to medieval and Baroque buildings around the square. The Palazzo del Podestà, Torre Civica, Palazzo Bambini, Arco Borgia-Cybo and church of San Silvestro form its architectural frame.

Why it matters

The square was known as Piazza Maggiore in the early twentieth century and took its present name later. Its visible monuments span several centuries, while Roman remains survive beneath the surface and in nearby buildings. The piazza has long been a focus of Fano's civic life.

What to notice

The fourteenth-century Palazzo del Podestà, also called Palazzo della Ragione, now houses the Teatro della Fortuna. Nearby, the Torre Civica was rebuilt after the earlier bell tower was destroyed by German troops in 1944. Palazzo Bambini preserves the memory of a sundial once used to mark both Central European mean noon and Fano's local noon. The late-fifteenth-century Arco Borgia-Cybo opens toward the Malatesta courtyard. The church of San Silvestro, one of the historic centre's oldest, contains a seventeenth-century Madonna di Piazza attributed to Giovanni Baglioni. An eighteenth-century star is set into the paving. Roman rooms and remains survive in cellars beneath Palazzo Bambini, under the theatre's stage and in the tower foundations.

Context and history

The square's architecture reflects successive periods of Fano's history. The Malatesta period shaped the palace and arch connecting to the family courtyard. Baroque-era work altered the fountain on the Corso Matteotti side. The Torre Civica, rebuilt after wartime destruction, stands as a later addition to the ensemble. Roman remains beneath the square and surrounding buildings preserve evidence of the ancient city.