Palazzo Pretorio

The Palazzo Pretorio stands on Piazza III Novembre in Riva del Garda, beside the Torre Apponale. Its loggia contains Roman, medieval and modern inscribed slabs, giving the civic palace a visible record of the area’s past.

Why it matters

Built under the Scaligeri in the fourteenth century, the palace served as a seat of civic authority. Its open loggia was associated with the administration of justice and public ceremony, linking the building to the political life of Riva.

What to notice

The inscribed slabs set into the loggia walls range across Roman, medieval and modern periods. The palace is also part of a broader civic ensemble in the square: the Torre Apponale dates to the thirteenth century, while the neighbouring Palazzo del Comune predates 1200 and was rebuilt under Venetian rule in the late fifteenth century.

Context and history

The palace was built by Cansignorio della Scala in 1375, in the closing decades of Scaliger rule over Riva. It later housed the officials who administered justice, reflected in its former name, Palazzo dei Provveditori. The building was joined to the neighbouring town hall in work during the mid-seventeenth century, creating a civic complex in two historical phases.