The main buildings, that the original architects wanted to represent the town’s brain, overlook the square , marked by the little moat of the Roggia (stream).

The Palace of the Provveditore Generale

The Palace of the Provveditore Generale was built in 1598 as the date on the keystone of the entrance gate bears witness. It was, at the beginning, the seat of the noble representative of the Republic of Venice, the highest civil and military authority of the town and later of the generals, commanders and Podestà.
Today it is the seat of the office of the Town Mayor and of the Townhall.

Loggia of the Grand Guard

Near the Palace of the Provveditore, without interruption, is the Loggia of the Grand Guard. This housed the guards who defended the square and the Superintendent.
In the 1820’s an additional storey was added to the final part of the Loggia and later turned into a War Memorial. In the first half of the 1800’s, it was the seat of a theatre.
In the big arches you can find the wrought iron gates that were once situated at the town gates.

Santo Monte di Pietá

In the left-hand corner of Borgo Aquileia, there is the building of the Santo Monte di Pietà (Holy pawnshop) with the delicate statue of the Pietà dating back to the end of the 1600’s.
This building housed an institute, established in 1666, which helped the poor inhabitants of the town .

Palazzo Del Governatore dell'Armi

In the right-hand corner and all along the Contrada Contarini, you can see the Palazzo del Governatore delle Armi . The building was the headquarters of the military authority and the fortress armoury during the rule of the Republic of Venice. In Napoleonic times it was acquired by the military domain and today houses the Direction of the Historical Military Museum.

Palazzo del Ragionato

See in Borgo Udine the imposing Palazzo del Ragionato ( or camera Fiscale) which was the seat of the Fortress Tresurer for the Republic of Venice.
The building was built in 1598 and conjures up an image of that time, as if it hasn’t been emptied of its original volumes, even with the introduction of shop windows at ground floor level.