Piazza Maggiore

Piazza Maggiore is the civic centre of Este, an arcaded square framed by the town hall, the Palazzo del Monte di Pietà and the Gothic palace of the Scaliger captain.

Why it matters

The square reflects successive periods of Este's political history. A Gothic palace associated with the Scaligeri anchors its medieval phase, while civic palaces around the arcades recall the town's long Venetian period. The square remains a central part of Este's urban and civic identity.

What to notice

The Palazzo del Municipio is a seventeenth-century building in Venetian style, with balconies and a clock in the curved tympanum. The Palazzo del Monte di Pietà once carried a small clock tower; its clock was later moved to the cathedral's bell tower. The Gothic Palazzo Scaligero del Capitano provides a medieval contrast to the Venetian facades, and the arcades preserve the square's sheltered architectural rhythm.

Context and history

The square developed across several political periods. The Scaligeri governed Este in the fourteenth century before the Carraresi, and the Gothic captain's palace anchored the civic space. Venetian rule later shaped the surrounding civic buildings. The Monte di Pietà, a public charitable institution, added its own tower in 1612; after the tower was demolished, its clock was transferred to the cathedral.