Piazza della Repubblica

Piazza della Repubblica brings together Foligno's cathedral, Palazzo Trinci and the old communal palace. Their contrasting facades preserve the relationship between religious, civic and signorial authority in the historic city.

Why it matters

The square has long been a focus of Foligno's public life. Its buildings record different institutions sharing the same urban space rather than a single uniform architectural scheme.

What to notice

The cathedral's side facade faces the square, with a carved Romanesque portal and rose window. Palazzo Trinci presents a later neoclassical front concealing a medieval residence; an elevated passage recalls its connection with the cathedral area. The old communal palace has a large pointed arch and heraldic carvings, including Angevin fleurs-de-lis and the arms of the podestà Catenaccio Catenacci.

Context and history

The medieval square was known as the platea vetus. The cathedral and communal buildings gave it an established public character before Ugolino III Trinci assembled and rebuilt neighbouring houses into his palace between 1389 and 1407. Later alterations, including the palace's nineteenth-century facade, changed the appearance of this inherited civic ensemble.