Since the 16th century, The Ducal Square (or Great Square) was the center of the public life ofthe Lord and citizens, and the place where the city market was located; consequently, it was also the core of commercial trade. It’s rectangular-shaped, and leaves free an amount of space otherwise occupied by two whole neighborhoods. On the western side, there is the Great Palace, the seat of administration and politics as well as an official representative palace, where the Lord lived. The palace used to be connected through overpasses to the auxiliary offices, located in the surrounding buildings.
In two of the rooms situated in the southern wing, Vespasiano put a large library that unfortunately got completely lost. In its shelves contained works from classic authors, essays on modern geometry, urbanistic and military engineering. On the western side of the square was located the Palace of Reason, that hosted community delegations and two rooms dedicated to the Rurali and Civili (people living either in the countryside or the city) councils. On the northern side of the Square rises the parish church of the city, dedicated to Saint Assunta. In its close surroundings there is the small oratory of Saint Rocco, built in a later period. On the south part, on the level of the ground floors in residential buildings, opens a large porch in rusticated ashlar, made of white marble: it is formed by quadrangular pillars surmounted by round arches. In 1588, a statue by Leone Leoni representing Vespasiano Gonzaga as a Roman emperor was placed on the left side of the entry stairway to the Ducal Palace; it was removed in 1656.

(Translation Ottavia Mapelli)