Palazzo della Ragione (Milan)
Encyclopedia
The Palazzo della Ragione ("Palace of Reason") is a historic building of Milan
, Italy
, located in Piazza Mercanti
, facing the Loggia degli Osii
. It was built in 13th century and originally served as a broletto
(i.e., an administrative building) as well as a judicial seat. As it was the second broletto to be built in Milan, it is also known as the Broletto Nuovo ("new broletto").
The palace is decorated with a relief representing Oldrado da Tresseno
(podestà
of Milan and fierce prosecutor of the Cathar heretics), and the bas relief of the scrofa semilanuta
("half-woolly sow"), which has been object of much controversy among scholars of the foundation and origins of Milan.
Oldrado da Tresseno
. It maintained a central role in the administrative and public life of Milan until the late 18th century. In 1773, under Empress Maria Theresa, it was restored and enlarged, to serve as legal archives. The structural changes were designed by architect Francesco Croce, who added a new upper floor with large round windows and restyled the whole building based on Neoclassic
canons. Other major modifications of the buildings were done in 1854 by architect Enrico Terzaghi; these included glass panes that closed the ground floor ambulatory
, which was reopened between 1905 and 1907.
Between 1866 and 1870, the building housed the headquarters of the Banca Popolare di Milano
, a major Milanese bank, but thereafter returned to its function as a legal archives seat until 1970. In 1978, Marco Dezzi Bardeschi restored the building again, but he strongly opposed any proposal of structural change, including that of removing the upper floor added by Croce.
Palazzo della Ragione inspired the design of another renowned building in the Milanese area, the Arengario
of Monza
.
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, located in Piazza Mercanti
Piazza Mercanti
Piazza Mercanti is a central city square of Milan, Italy. It is located between Piazza del Duomo, which marks the centre of the modern city of Milan, and Piazza Cordusio, and it used to be the heart of the city in the Middle Ages...
, facing the Loggia degli Osii
Loggia degli Osii
The Loggia degli Osii is a historical building of Milan, Italy. It is located in Piazza Mercanti, a central city square of Milan that used to be its centre in the Middle Ages.-History:...
. It was built in 13th century and originally served as a broletto
Broletto
Broletto is an ancient Italian word, from medieval Latin "broilum, brogilum", which probably derives from a Celtic word. Its first meaning is "little orchard or garden"; hence the meaning "field surrounded by a wall"...
(i.e., an administrative building) as well as a judicial seat. As it was the second broletto to be built in Milan, it is also known as the Broletto Nuovo ("new broletto").
The palace is decorated with a relief representing Oldrado da Tresseno
Oldrado da Tresseno
Oldrado da Tresseno was an Italian politician, podestà of Milan in the 13th century. He is responsible for restructuring Piazza dei Mercanti and ordering the construction of Palazzo della Ragione, a prominent historic building of Milan, which served as a broletto Oldrado da Tresseno (d. 1233)...
(podestà
Podestà
Podestà is the name given to certain high officials in many Italian cities, since the later Middle Ages, mainly as Chief magistrate of a city state , but also as a local administrator, the representative of the Emperor.The term derives from the Latin word potestas, meaning power...
of Milan and fierce prosecutor of the Cathar heretics), and the bas relief of the scrofa semilanuta
Scrofa semilanuta
The scrofa semilanuta is an ancient emblem of the city of Milan, Italy, dating back at least to the Middle Ages — and, according to a local legend, to the very foundation of Milan...
("half-woolly sow"), which has been object of much controversy among scholars of the foundation and origins of Milan.
History
The building was constructed between 1228 and 1233 for podestàPodestà
Podestà is the name given to certain high officials in many Italian cities, since the later Middle Ages, mainly as Chief magistrate of a city state , but also as a local administrator, the representative of the Emperor.The term derives from the Latin word potestas, meaning power...
Oldrado da Tresseno
Oldrado da Tresseno
Oldrado da Tresseno was an Italian politician, podestà of Milan in the 13th century. He is responsible for restructuring Piazza dei Mercanti and ordering the construction of Palazzo della Ragione, a prominent historic building of Milan, which served as a broletto Oldrado da Tresseno (d. 1233)...
. It maintained a central role in the administrative and public life of Milan until the late 18th century. In 1773, under Empress Maria Theresa, it was restored and enlarged, to serve as legal archives. The structural changes were designed by architect Francesco Croce, who added a new upper floor with large round windows and restyled the whole building based on Neoclassic
Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
canons. Other major modifications of the buildings were done in 1854 by architect Enrico Terzaghi; these included glass panes that closed the ground floor ambulatory
Ambulatory
The ambulatory is the covered passage around a cloister. The term is sometimes applied to the procession way around the east end of a cathedral or large church and behind the high altar....
, which was reopened between 1905 and 1907.
Between 1866 and 1870, the building housed the headquarters of the Banca Popolare di Milano
Banca Popolare di Milano
-History:The second cooperative bank in Italy , it was founded in 1865 in Milan by Luigi Luzzatti, who later served as the nation's Prime Minister...
, a major Milanese bank, but thereafter returned to its function as a legal archives seat until 1970. In 1978, Marco Dezzi Bardeschi restored the building again, but he strongly opposed any proposal of structural change, including that of removing the upper floor added by Croce.
Palazzo della Ragione inspired the design of another renowned building in the Milanese area, the Arengario
Arengario (Monza)
The Arengario is a historic buildings in Monza, northern Italy. It was built in the 13th century and is named after its original function as the town's "arengario"...
of Monza
Monza
Monza is a city and comune on the river Lambro, a tributary of the Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy some 15 km north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the Province of Monza and Brianza. It is best known for its Grand Prix motor racing circuit, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.On June...
.
Sources
- Oscar Pedro Melano, Milano di terracotta e mattoni, Mazzotta, 2002.