Palazzo della Ragione
Ragione Palace
The full-length massive building, located in Piazza Erbe in the city center, used to house (as nowadays) various shops on the ground-floor. The main room on the first floor was used to administer justice. The building, characterized by the intense colouring of its brickwork, was built in 1250 on a site of ancient structures, as testified by the portions of frescoes of the main room. Palazzo della Ragione, now property of the Municipal Administration, is employed as a gallery for temporary art exhibitions.
The Torre dell’Orologio (Clock Tower), built in 1472/3 by Luca Fancelli is the present entrance to the Palace. The Tower owes its name to the ancient clock which was made and installed there in 1493 by Bartolomeo Manfredi, a mathematician, mechanic and astrologer at the Gonzaga’s court. The clock has recently been restored. Its interpretation is quite complex: besides indicating hours by Roman numbers, it also shows the signs of the Zodiac, the planetary hours, the position of the stars and the phases of the moon.
|
|
 ©Festivaletteratura |
|
