Brescia, Piazza Arnaldo

The Corn Market in piazzale Arnaldo was one of the most important buildings during this period. The white stone colonnade demonstrates the neo-classical taste of the age and was raised to allow wagons to be loaded. Many large and imposing buildings were put up around 1800 that today are still part of Brescian life. In the centre of piazzale Arnaldo stands a large bronze statue of Arnaldo da Brescia, a popular monk who spoke out against the corruption of the Church at the beginning of the 12th century. He was accused of heresy and burned and his ashes scattered in the river Tiber at Rome at the wish of Pope Hadrian IV who wanted to prevent Arnaldo from being venerated. The statue was cast in 1882 by Odoardo Tabacchi.