Piazza dei Signori

This is a large square that makes up the heart of Padua. On one side the Captain's palace with its great, functioning astronomical clock presides. It is also very popular in the evenings full of restaurant terraces and ice cream shops. The Captain's Palace was begun in the 14th century and was the residence of the Venetian governors of the city. The clock tower is open at the bottom with an arch that extends to Palazzo del Capitanio.