The Council Loggia

The splendid Loggia del Consiglio, also known as the Loggia della Gran Guardia, is a Renaissance building that stands in the southwest corner of Piazza dei Signori, the true heart of the city.

The elegant building was built on a 1496 project by Annibale Maggi da Bassano to accommodate the city council following the fire that damaged the Palazzo della Ragione in 1420. It was finished in 1553 by Giovanni Maria Falconetto, an Italian architect who designed two of the first high Renaissance buildings in Padua, the Loggia and Odeo Cornaro. The ancient seat of the Council became the seat of the "Gran Guardia", the military command of the cities during the Austrian domination.

The Loggia, with its harmonious proportions and sober elegance, is a classic representation of the new Renaissance, a true masterpiece of local architecture from the transition period between the 15th and 16th centuries. The elegant and delicate facade is characterized by the use of polychrome marble and by the particular decorations of the columns along with the three mullioned windows on the upper floor. A wide staircase leads into the ground floor portico formed by seven arches supported on columns and pillars with a beamed ceiling richly decorated with coats of arms.

The great council chamber is embellished with a coffered ceiling and a series of frescoes, painted by Pier Antonio Torri in 1667. On the east wall, a canvas depicting Padua between Justice and Wisdom, a replica by an uncertain author, which replaces the original painting made by Domenico Campagnola in 1537 and is now preserved in the Eremitani Civic Museums.

The Council Loggia has been part of the municipal heritage since 1866 and has been mainly used for cultural initiatives. It is a symbol of the cultural Padua as well as a meeting point for citizens and tourists