Piazza Alberica

Piazza Alberica is Carrara's historic civic square, shaped by the urban expansion associated with Alberico I Cybo-Malaspina. Palaces connected with the marble trade surround a monument to Maria Beatrice d'Este.

Why it matters

The square moved civic attention beyond the older quarter around Sant'Andrea. Its architecture links princely planning with the families and officials involved in Carrara's stone economy.

What to notice

Pietro Fontana's monument to Maria Beatrice gives the centre a dynastic focus, accompanied by a lion fountain. Palazzo delle Logge, also called Palazzo Diana, has a long arcade on marble columns. Palazzo Del Medico recalls a quarry-owning family, while the house associated with Pietro Tacca adds a link with the city's sculptural history.

Context and history

The area was formerly known as Platea Porcorum and used for livestock markets. Alberico I conceived the new square in 1557 as part of a larger urban transformation. Palaces and commercial activity developed around it. The monument to Maria Beatrice belongs to the early nineteenth century, following the restoration of her rule after the Napoleonic period. It added another dynastic statement to the square's Renaissance origins.