Palazzo Vescovile

Rovigo's former Bishop's Palace preserves the history of the bishops of Adria within the city. Its joined building blocks, double-ramp staircase and eighteenth-century chapel record several phases of episcopal patronage.

Why it matters

The residence's origins are traditionally linked with the Dominican Bishop Benvenuto in the fourteenth century. The later palace illustrates the importance of Rovigo within the diocese of Adria, even before the diocese acquired its modern name of Adria-Rovigo.

What to notice

The central block is flanked by wings adapted from earlier structures. A double-ramp staircase forms the principal architectural feature of the entrance. The chapel commissioned in 1788 by Bishop Arnaldo Speroni degli Alvarotti preserves a distinct phase of the interior's decoration.

Context and history

Bishop Girolamo Porcia rebuilt the central body in 1608, followed by further alterations under later bishops. The curia moved to new premises in 1942. The old palace subsequently passed into civic use and was adapted for musical education in 1981. The staircase and fountain were reconstructed to their earlier model in 1986.