Piazza Garibaldi
Square
Equestrian statue of Garibaldi
Piazza Garibaldi and Chiesa dei Santi Francesco e Giustina
A walk on the ruins of a church
When you walk through the Piazza Garibaldi, you will clearly recognise the outlines of a church on the ground. While today it is a nice and busy square, 200 years ago the church of Santa Giustina stood on the same site. The former church was built in the 12th century at the time of the Este and was made a cathedral from a parish church after the expansion of the Church of Santo Stefano. An increasing lack of space in the small church and a greater need to escape to the cathedral for worship led to the demolition of the church of Santa Giustina in 1806. In its place, the city government decided to build the Piazza Garibaldi, and the church of San Francesco became the new parish church.
The church of San Francesco can be reached from the Piazza Garibaldi, a few metres further along the Via Silvestri. The pretty Romanesque-Gothic church was built in 1300 and houses a total of 17 beautiful altars. In memory of the previous parish church at the Piazza Garibaldi its name has been extended to Chiesa dei Santi Francesco e Giustina.
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