Palazzo Pretorio

The palazzo dates back to 1417. It was built on the orders of the Venetian Republic through the Venetian mayor Andrea Valier, who would make it his home and headquarters of the municipality. Originally a modest building, it was expanded by Valier’s successors and restored in the early twentieth century by Auguste Sezanne.

The facade that looks onto piazza del Podestà is emblematic of two important historical periods for the city: the fifteenth century Venetian style on the right hand side and the eighteenth century style to the left.

The three-arched portico with frescoes above the old canal, the decoration of the wooden ceiling in the Sala del Consiglio (Hall of Council) and the two frescoes in the Sala del Sindaco (Mayor’s Hall) are witnesses to the years of Venetian rule.

The entrance portal with balcony supported by two marble pillars bears the mark of eighteenth century design.

To the left of the entrance, notice the stone slab in the wall with the Venetian “pertica” and the Viennese “braccio” and the corresponding measurements used in Rovereto in 1770.

The rear of the palazzo is also worth a look, it overlooks the river Leno. The eighteenth century decorations are a leap back into the history of the city, from the Republic of Venice to the Austrians.