Vittorio Emanuele II Square, the heart of Rovigo since the Middle Ages with the unmistakable style of the Venetian squares, is a place of aggregation and transit, which offers many outdoor cafes where relax, trendy shops, summer concerts and shows.
The square, with the central part dedicated to the passage way, is characterized by the Monument of the First King of Italy, made by the Piedmontese sculptor Giulio Monteverde, and the column of Istrian stone (1519), which stands in the center, with the enthralling Lion of San Marco on the top.
A significant place, which over time became more precious with the houses and noble palaces that gradually rose around the square. If the Cathedral of Santo Stefano was the religious cornerstone of the city, and soon the square became the secular one, open to host markets and events, which changed the history of the town.
Important buildings overlook the square such as the red Palazzo del Municipio with its typical loggia arcades, flanked by the eighteenth-century Clock Tower, rebuilt in 1790 and where the old keep of the keep of the Castle of Rovigo was inserted.
On the north-east side, however, we find the restored Palazzo Roverella from 1474, which houses the picture galleries of the Accademia dei Concordi, one of the best art collections in the Veneto.
