PIAZZA PAOLO VIth

The present look of the square is dated at the XVIIIth century and is the result of a long historical stratification, started in Romanesque period.
On the west side there was the Baptistery of St. Giovanni (615), demolished in 1625, of which remains a round coffer with the Saint’s head, walled up in the house opposite the New Cathedral. In the middle of the same building, stand out a stone arcade, surmounted with a Gothic three-mullioned window, of the old Camerlenghi’s building residence of the viscount fortification superintendent. In the middle of the square there are two fontains of the XVIIIth century: on the north side the one with Minerva statue by Cignaroli and on the south side the copy of the one by Calegari with Brescia’s Army statue.
On the east side three of the most important building in the city: the New Cathedral, the Old Cathedral or Rounded and the Broletto Palace.
(see itinerary nr. 1 of the guide))

PIAZZA DELLA LOGGIA

This square represents the Renaissance architectonic whole of Venetian style more hamornic and homogeneous of the city, for podestà Foscari wishing in the 1433 to create a new civic centre, symbol of the Venetian dominion just began.
On the west side there is the principal building of the square, Palazzo Loggia (1492 – 1573), today Town Hall; On the south side there are the Monte Vecchio (1483 – 89) and the Monte Nuovo di Pietà (1596 – 1600); The east side is closed by the Arcades Palace (1595) in which rises the Torre dell’Orologio (1540 – 50) said “I macc de le ure” (The crazy of the hours) because of the two bronze statues that struck any hour. On the vault below the tower there is the Vittime della strage of 28th may 1974 monument.
(see itinerary nr. 3 of the guide)

PIAZZA DELLA VITTORIA

The square was built between 1929 and 1932, razing the fifteenth-century decaying quarter of 'le Pescherie' (fish market), which stood close to the ancient roman walls. It was planned by architect Piacentini in a perfect fascist style. The square is dominated to the north by the huge Palazzo della Posta; to the west there is the Palazzo delle Assicurazioni Generali di Venezia, next to the Torrione dell' I.N.A. On the opposite side of the square we find the 'Arengario', carved with nine bas-relieves by Maraini, and behind it the Tower stands out, in the fascist period it was called 'of the revolution', leading to the Quadriportico (once Loggia of the Merchants) planned by Tito Brusa from Brescia.
(see itinerary nr. 5 of the guide)

PIAZZA DEL MERCATO

It is one of the most important city squares, so rich with history, since the fifteenth century heart of the trade and craft activities, as proved by the names that marked it out during the centuries: Piazza dei Rebotti (from the dialect 'rebelòt' = jumble) then Piazza del Lino (flex, linen) then Piazza delle Erbe (vegetables) or dei Commestibili (foodstuff) and finally Piazza del Mercato (market). This square is characterized by the row of the case bottega (shop-houses) (1547) to the south and by the Casa a Portici (house with arcades) in front (1558), designed by architect Beretta, they both had the shops on the ground floor and the dwellings on the upper floors. The square is closed to the south by the little church of S. Maria del Lino (1608), designed by Bagnadore, and by the imposing Palazzo Martinengo Palatini (1675) with harmonious baroque features. In front of the building there is the ancient fountain, renovated in 1831 by Donegani and enriched with a statue by Labus.
(see itinerary nr. 6 of the guide)

PIAZZA BRUNO BONI

This square represents the connection between Via Moretto and Corso Zanardelli (the so-called crossroad of the crayfish) theorized since the nineteenth century, but realized only at the beginning of the year 2000. The large southern part, obtained where there once was the garden of Palazzo Bettoni Cazzago, whose colonnade closes the west side of the square today, is delimited by the wall of the church of the ancient monastery of S. Maria Maddalena (XIVth century), founded by the Umiliati di Gambara. In the middle of the square there is the memorial bust of Bruno Boni, mayor in Brescia from 1948 to 1975, while to the north there is the picturesque Corsia del Gambero (crayfish), which links the square to Corso Zanardelli.
(see itinerary nr. 6 of the guide)

PIAZZA ARNALDO

This square is towered over by the severe white stone building of the Mercato dei grani (1820 – 1823) built by architect Vita as seat of local cereals trade; in the middle of the square there is the Arnaldo monument (1882), work by the sculptor Tabacchi, dedicated to the reformist friar from Brescia, burned alive in 1155 by Adriano IVth.
(see itinerary nr. 2 of the guide)