Piazza dei Signori

Piazza dei Signori is the civic heart of Treviso, framed by the palaces that housed the city’s government. The Palazzo dei Trecento, the former Palazzo del Podestà and the Palazzo Pretorio preserve the square’s long association with communal administration.

Why it matters

The square takes its name from the buildings that housed the institutions of the old Trevisan Signoria. The Palazzo dei Trecento remains the seat of the municipal council, while the former Palazzo del Podestà serves as the Prefecture. Their construction over several centuries established the piazza as a centre of civic life. The name Carubio, recorded for the site in earlier times, derives from the Latin quadruvium, meaning a four-way crossing.

What to notice

The Palazzo dei Trecento closes the eastern side of the square, the Prefecture stands to the north and the Palazzo Pretorio to the west. Porticoes and arched ground floors connect the buildings to the surrounding streets. The loggia of the Palazzo dei Trecento links the piazza with Piazza Indipendenza, while the portico known as the portico dei soffioni passes between the palaces toward Piazza del Monte di Pietà. Reliefs of the winged lion of Saint Mark recall the period of Venetian rule.

Context and history

The square’s names reflect successive periods in Treviso’s history: Carubio, Piazza delle Catene, Piazza della Berlina, Piazza Grande, Piazza del Popolo and Piazza dei Nobili preceded its present name. The former Palazzo del Podestà acquired its Neo-Gothic appearance in work directed by engineer Giulio Olivi between 1874 and 1877. The surrounding civic buildings continue to define the piazza as a place of public assembly and local government.