Torre Bissara

The Torre Bissara forms part of the historic communal palace group on Piazza dei Signori in Vicenza. It stands beside the Palazzo del Podestà and the Basilica Palladiana, where the medieval civic complex meets Palladio’s Renaissance loggias.

Why it matters

The tower belongs to the oldest layer of the Piazza dei Signori complex. In the late thirteenth century, the communal buildings included the Palatium vetus, the Palatium Communis and the Palazzo del Podestà, flanked by the Torre Bissara. The tower’s place within this group links it to the civic government of medieval Vicenza and to the later architectural transformation of the square.

What to notice

The Piazza brings together the Bissara Tower, the Palazzo del Podestà and the two-tiered loggias of the Basilica Palladiana. The contrast between the tower and Palladio’s Renaissance arcade gives the civic complex its layered architectural character. Together, the tower and loggias form part of the historic centre that shapes Piazza dei Signori.

Context and history

Palladio’s loggia project for the communal palace began in 1546 and continued through 1549. The Basilica Palladiana’s loggias enclosed the great hall, whose earlier structure had been rebuilt from around 1450 and covered with a ship’s-keel ceiling. The complex was damaged by bombing on 18 March 1945, which destroyed the hall’s timber roof. A restoration campaign from 2007 to 2012 returned the palace group to use, and the work received a Europa Nostra award in 2014.