Overview
The symbol of Como's municipal institutions
At a stone's throw from the lake and the cathedral, it sits in the heart of Como and its history has been closely linked to the city's institutions since the 13th century. We’re talking about Palazzo del Broletto, which was a venue for town assemblies, the administration of the justice system and for storing archives during the age of the city-states.
Over the centuries, the building underwent several modifications, in particular to make room for the construction of the Como cathedral. Today it has a rectangular floor plan, a tower and an elegant façade featuring a typically medieval structure embellished with Gothic details. Its exterior cladding with alternating white, grey and red marble slab renders it unmistakable. The appearance is completed by arcades and three-mullioned windows in typical Gothic style. A balcony protrudes between the second and third windows, its balustrade in turn decorated with elegant columns.
The pillars, once more slender and harmonious, are now short and 'cut off': their height was reduced due to the rising waters of the lake, which forced the people of Como to raise the street level, thus lowering the buildings.
