Palazzo del Capitano

Palazzo del Capitano in Soave is a fourteenth-century civic palace built under Cansignorio della Scala and still used as the town hall.

Why it matters

The palace first housed the pretori and governors who administered Soave for the Scaliger lords. Under Venetian rule, captains representing the Republic used the building, giving the palace its name. Its continuous civic role links the town's medieval and modern government.

What to notice

The loggia opens toward the street and adjoining garden, while the building's restrained scale contrasts with the nearby castle and walls. The rose-marble portal carries civic insignia, and Parco Zanella preserves the Italian garden donated to the commune with the palace by the Zanella family.

Context and history

Cansignorio della Scala's fourteenth-century building campaign in Soave included the palace, the Palace of Justice of 1375 and work on the castle. The Venetian period changed the palace's governors but not its civic function. The Zanella family later gave the building and garden to the commune. Restoration from 1982 to 1985 prepared the palace for its modern municipal role, with further conservation of stonework, plaster, roof and wall finishes reported in 2022.