For several centuries, the Piazza dei Signoria (Square of the Seigneurs) was the political center of the city. It was named after the palaces that were built here between 1277 and 1383 by the dela Scala family.
In the center of the square is a statue of the great Italian poet Dante Alighieri, sculptor Gianone. This statue was installed here in 1865, when Verona was under the rule of Austria. In 1302, Dante and other members of the Guelph party were expelled from their native Florence. After that, Dante found shelter with the Signor della Scala in Verona.
The largest building on the square is the Palazzo del Commune with the Lamberti tower. The municipality of Verona was located here. Nearby is the Palazzo dei Tribunal (Palace of the court). It was also built in the 14th century by the dela Scala family.
The Palazzo di Cangrande (Cangrande Palace) is built of red brick with sharp dovetail teeth, typical of Ghibelline party houses. Here Senor Congrande II dela Scala received Dante, and later he mentioned him in his Divine Comedy. Adjacent to the Palace is a building called the Council Loggia. The entire first floor is occupied by a niche, with porticos that support Corinthian columns.
Close to the square you can see the Arches of Scaligers. These are the tombs of members of the dela Scala family who ruled Verona in the Middle Ages. The sarcophagus of Congrande II (13th century), the most famous representative of the dela Scala family, is adjacent to the Church of Santa Maria Antica.
