ABSTRACT
These two medieval squares, like those in Arras and Salzburg, are grouped squares each playing its particular role in the city – Piazza delle Erbe for commerce and Piazza dei Signori for governing – each with its own individual identity, form and atmosphere. Each space is at once unique but complementary. Moreover, the architectural language and elements of the square participate in defining the space. Rather than an arbitrary architecture, the urban and architectural composition seems befitting to their use. Like Florence’s Piazza della Signoria, the freestanding elements and towers play an important role in the spatial experience (Zucker 1966: 88). The clear two-dimensional plan is only as successful as the three-dimensional articulation.
