Brescia, Piazza della Loggia

Piazza Loggia is one of the most beautiful Venetian style squares outside of Venice itself. Its construction was initiated in 1433 by Marco Foscari, the Venetian mayor of Brescia, when it replaced a maze of lanes in the medieval city; its completion took over a century. Built around the square were the Loggia, the Monte Vecchio and Monte Nuovo di Pietà, and the porticoes surmounted by the Clocktower. The Loggia was started in 1492 and finished circa 1570, it is a symbol of the city and main office of the City Council. Some of the greatest architects of the time helped in its design including Sansovino and Palladio. Its sculptural decoration in Botticino marble is particularly impressive. The building’s original lead roofing was lost in a fire in 1575 which also destroyed the three large ceiling paintings by Titian. After a series of temporary solutions, the cupola seen today was built in 1914, inspired by the Renaissance model.