Piazza del Popolo and Piazza della Libertà
Piazza del Popolo is the nerve center of Faenza public life, an essential part of politics since the most ancient age. Two porticoes with an elegant and harmonious appearance surround it. They have been built, redone and modified, in over a long period of time, from 1470 to 1932. Next to the Clock Tower stands the Palazzo del Podestà, originally Palazzo Comunale (the oldest part is from 1177), the heart of the first major age of the Municipality of Faenza, which was already in existence in 1030. The picturesque character that characterizes its current appearance is due in large part to the restoration, but there is no shortage remains of ancient architecture (suggestive of the twentieth-century capitals on top of the Beccai arch).
Opposite it is the Palazzo del Municipio, built in the 13th century as the residence of the captain del Popolo, who also wanted to be a contralto of the Podestà even symbolically. The structure then became the seat of noble power, later transforming into the palace of the papal legate and finally it became the location of the Faenza Town Hall. Its heterogeneous aspects is reminiscent of the various powerful figures that have followed one another, from the oldest medieval structures (especially the Council Hall, thirteenth century), to the late Baroque facade on Corso Mazzini, dating back to 1770-80.
Piazza della Popolo is mirrored in Piazza del Popolo, dominated by the façade of the Cathedral and the singular portico of the Signori and the Orefici, built in front of it in the early 17th century (partially redone in Liberty style). Under its arches, take a look at the Pharmacy of the Duomo, which has retained, even in its furnishings, its original neoclassical appearance. The elegant Piazza Fontana, in Baroque style, was built between 1619 and 1621, in the last years of the pontificate of Paolo V Borghese. We find decorative elements like the eagle and the dragon, present in the papal emblem, while the rampant lions recall the Faenza coat of arms due to this man.
The two adjacent squares form a single large and elegant space where you can enjoy the true life of a small town of Romagna: the cafes where you can sit for a coffee, the elegant shops, but above all, the continuous coming and going of bicycles: the bike, in Romagna is the means of transport par excellence!
