Piazza dei Martiri Historical Timeline

Origins

The square began as the Campedel, the open field immediately outside Belluno's walls -- the standard place for a market, since it was accessible without bringing carts into the tight medieval streets.

Turning points

As the city expanded beyond its walls the field became a formal square, was built up along its edges, and took on the civic role it still has.

Influential people

The arcades and the buildings along the eastern side belong mostly to the Venetian and later periods, and give the square its present enclosure.

Cultural evolution

On 17 March 1945 four young partisans were publicly hanged here by the occupying forces. The square was renamed dei Martiri after the war, and a memorial marks the event.

Present-day significance

It is Belluno's living centre -- market, meeting place, and the site of the city's commemorations.