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The Palazzo della Ragione was the ancient court, it was built in 1325-26. Under the arcades of the Palazzo della Ragione since the Middle Ages there were, for example, silversmiths' workshops, draperies, cimatori, tailors and hatters.
Almost entirely destroyed by fire in April 1945. The building we see today was rebuilt, between 1954 and 1956, right on the rubble of the former Palazzo della Ragione.
The new building, designed by the Roman architect Marcello Piacentini (1881-1960), was the object of harsh criticism from many scholars, so much so that Bruno Zevi called it "the rape of Ferrara"; some, on the other hand, tend to highlight the positive ideas, also with regard to the Galleria Matteotti, where pillars and ceilings evoke the best Roman repertoire of the architect.
The current building only vaguely recalls the Palazzo della Ragione, of which the loggia with the restored Gothic arches was partially preserved, as well as the height of the façade.
In the new building they immediately found shops, offices and, until 1994, also the Upim warehouses.
In 2005 they were made on two floors several tourist apartments, the 3rd floor was renovated in 2013 and became what is now the Hotel Torre della Vittoria 1928 *** S
The origins
From here you can enjoy the wonderful view, looking out the windows and accessing the terrace you can admire the heart of the medieval city, the Cathedral square, the Municipal Palace, the Estense Castle and the Torre della Vittoria from which the hotel takes its name,
The Torre della Vittoria is a historic building in Ferrara that completes the building of the Municipal Palace and at the same time stands out for its size.
A new Tower of Victory was erected, replacing the original one, the work of Rigobello, which had collapsed during the sixteenth century, in 1570, at the beginning of the seismic swarm that struck the city until 1574.
The will of the municipal administration was, at that time, to recover the ancient aspect of the Town Hall to remember the glory of the Este period and, moreover, to celebrate the Victory in the First World War with a commemorative monument.
This was identified in the gilded bronze statue La Vittoria del Piave by Arrigo Minerbi, which was placed at the base of the tower. The inauguration of the Tower was an important celebratory moment for Ferrara's fascism, in November 1928, and for the occasion, in addition to Italo Balbo, Renzo Ravenna and the main civil, military and religious personalities, the king, Vittorio Emanuele III, also intervened. .
Built on a fourteenth-century model, in Gothic style and with materials reminiscent of the Este castle, it is 57 m high and the top is crenellated, like the reconstructed façade of the Town Hall.
