Piacenza, a city rich in history and charm, holds two of its most precious treasures in its heart: the majestic Piazza dei Cavalli and the imposing Palazzo Gotico. These monuments are not only architectural symbols, but true guardians of centuries of history, urban evolution and traditions that still fascinate visitors today.
Medieval Origins: The Birth of Piazza Grande and Palazzo Gotico
The history of Piazza dei Cavalli, originally known as Piazza Grande, has its roots in the early 1280s. Its creation was a crucial event for the urban planning of medieval Piacenza, strongly desired by Alberto Scotti, a prominent figure and head of the Merchants’ Society. Scotti’s vision was to indissolubly unite the square with the Gothic Palace, conceived as the community’s palace.
This project redefined the urban design, creating spaces dedicated to services and primary administrative activities.
- The square, with its adjacent areas such as the churchyard of San Francesco,
- Piazzetta delle Erbe, Piazzetta delle Grida and Piscaria, formed an organic whole of spaces with different purposes but united in a single architectural solution.
- The central quadrangle was the hub of the city council, while the raised, porticoed area housed notaries, scribes and officials, whose desks were strategically positioned near the staircases leading to the council chamber.
Gothic Palace main façade stood like a grand stage, projecting the very image of the city through its pointed arches, mullioned windows and battlements, elements of a precise geometric design. The central position of the square, the palace and the church of San Francesco coordinated the other squares of the city. They created a connection among the Cathedral via the Diritta road, the village of Santa Brigida, Sant’Antonino via the Via Francigena.
Baroque Transformations and Splendours: From Piazza Grande to Piazza dei Cavalli
The end of the Scotti dynasty and the beginning of Visconti rule in 1313 marked a profound revision of the urban layout and the interruption of the construction of the Gothic Palace. Piazza Grande was segregated and enclosed within a curtain wall, and the palace, symbol of municipal identity, was used by the ducal garrisons.
It was not until the 15th century, under the Sforza principality, that the square regained its urban dignity, and in 1469 it was redesigned with new orthogonal grid paving. The redefinition continued with the Farnese dukes, who transformed the spaces to enhance their power.
The Gothic Palace, emptied of its institutional prerogatives, became a venue for court festivities, transforming into the Teatro di Piazza in 1646. Between 1620 and 1625, the addition of bronze equestrian groups, commissioned by Ranuccio I from Francesco Mochi and placed on either side of the geometric paving, confirmed the palace’s function as a mere backdrop to the square, which from that moment on took the name of Piazza dei Cavalli (Horse Square).
The Square as an Open-Air Theatre: Shows and Traditions
In the 16th century, Palazzo Gotico definitively lost its municipal function to become the backdrop for an open-air theatre, with the proscenium bordered by two bronze statues by Mochi. The square was transformed into a large stage for tournaments, carousels, parades and fireworks.
Piacenza historians recall the tournament organised in honour of John of Austria in 1574. The spectacular nature of these events reflected the Baroque style of the time. The longest-running festival is Ferragosto, with evidence of pyrotechnic machines being built from the 17th to the 20th century. These monumental structures, made of wood, canvas and stucco, reached impressive dimensions and had different appearances each year, preserving their sense of wonder. Every Ferragosto, the square came alive with preparations to erect towers, castles, lighthouses, fountains, pagodas, and even reproductions of contemporary monuments such as the Eiffel Tower or the Statue of Liberty.
The 19th-century restoration and the current splendour of the Gothic palace
In 1821, the architect Lotario Tomba carried out the first urgent repairs to the palace. Subsequently, in 1856, with the rediscovery of the Middle Ages, it was decided to restore the building to its “primitive beauty”. The restoration, which lasted until 1909 amid controversy and interruptions, saw the participation of important architects such as:
- Giuseppe Mengoni,
- Giuseppe Talamoni,
- Angelo Colla,
- Ernesto Pirovano, who completed the work.
The most urgent interventions concerned the roofs, battlements, decorations and flooring of the hall, as well as the removal of later additions such as the dragon balcony and the theatre. Although the more ambitious plans for the completion of the palace were never realised, Pirovano restored the Gothic Palace to its original appearance.
Nowadays
Today, the Palazzo Gotico is a fascinating combination of original features and 19th-century decorations. It has two levels: a ground floor portico and an upper floor with small rooms and a large hall.
The external portico, with five pointed arches on the façade and three on the short sides, is covered by ribbed cross vaults and clad in white and red marble, creating a striking colour contrast with the upper terracotta section. The latter is marked by a series of round arches, decorated with geometric motifs framing three- and four-light windows.
The Ghibelline battlements (originally Guelph) and the three turrets with mullioned windows crown the façade. Inside, the large hall is decorated with 19th-century frescoes depicting geometric motifs, coats of arms and allegorical figures, among which Justice stands out. The majestic truss above the space is also from the same period.