PIAZZA DUOMO

The area around the Duomo has always been the religious focal point of the city. A temple has been here almost certainly from Roman times and in Via Canoniche  the mosaic pavement of a paleochristian baptistery is still visible.
In this area we find the Baptistery of St. Giovanni, the incomplete romanesque tower, now the bell tower and the romanesque Cathedral, which remodelled many times and found its neoclassical form of today only towards the mid 18th century.
Adjacent to the Duomo stands the Bishop's palace which has also been repeatedly altered; a beautiful series of frescoes by Benetton Caliari (16th century), illustrating some of the Evangelical parables, can be found inside. Next to this stands Casa dal Corno, a beautiful example of Venetian gothic, with windows of trilobate arches embellished with the characteristic ceramic decorations and frescoes of the 15th century adorned by the symbol of St. Bernardino da Siena.Three great buildings successively stood in front of the Duomo over the centuries: the palace of the cruel Ezzelino da Romano, burnt by the Trevisans in 1260, the Fondaco delle Biade, which served as a warehouse for the City and surrounding lands and the ex Tribunale built in 1935 and now waiting for a new use. Because of the warehouse Piazza Duomo was called Piazza delle Biade (piazza of the crops) and later Piazza delle Legne (piazza of wood) in olden days.

PIAZZA DEI SIGNORI

Piazza dei Signori is considered the heart of the city, focal point for trevisans and tourists alike.
The piazza dei Signori, piazza Duomo and piazza St. Leonardo have always been Treviso's main piazzas. The medieval Statutes named these as the location for the proclamatio of bans, news and sentences.
Todav business is discussed, gossip is exchanged, good "gelati" or ice-creams are eaten, wine-tastings of the typical "ombretta" of prosecco, a sparkling white wine, enjoyed and acquisitions are made in the tempting shops in Calmaggiore (the old roman road which crosses the piazza del Signori). The place is crowded at all hours of the day, but particularly towards evening, when you will find crowds of youths chatting animatedly.
Piazza del Signori is dominated by the Palazzo dei Trecento, which rises majestically capped with Guelph crenellations, its facades refined by the marvellous tri-partite windows. This is one of the most significant examples of romanesque architecture in the town. Building began at the beginning of the 13th century to house the Consiglio dei Trecento but its form was very different to that of today In 1553 the lower Loggia was reinstated by demolishing the infill mayoral offices and shops. During the following centuries the Palazzo fell into decay and underwent radical transformations until a complete restoration took place towards the end of the 19th century
In 1906 the stairs from Piazza Indipendenza dominated by the statue of Independence by the sculptor Luigi Borro, 1875, were built. Originally, the stairs which led to the Salone e dei Trecento,were located i Piazza dei Signori.