The 11 Statues of the General Governors and the Two Bronze Statues

Arranged around the perimeter of Piazza Grande, the eleven statues of the General Governors tell the story of Palmanova’s Venetian past and the strategic role of the fortress. These figures welcome visitors while bearing witness to the importance of the authorities who governed the city, recounting centuries of discipline and power.
Admiring them means retracing the epic history of the Serenissima Republic of Venice through art and military pride, in an eternal dialogue with the perfect geometry of the star-shaped city.
At the entrance to Borgo Aquileia, the columns topped with bronze sculptures add further symbolic meanings, helping to make the square a place rich in history and memory.

STATUES OF THE GENERAL GOVERNORS
In Piazza Grande, visitors are welcomed by the statues of eleven of the General Governors who ruled the city of Palmanova.
This office, established from the foundation of the fortress, was considered one of the most prestigious positions in the Republic of Venice, as it could lead to the eventual appointment as Doge.
The exact identification of these statues remains uncertain. In 1691, the inscriptions and coats of arms carved on their pedestals were erased following a law intended to prevent the cult of personality surrounding individual officials of the Republic.
The only inscription whose text is known today, thanks to a surviving family manuscript, is the one dedicated to General Governor Giovanni Sagredo.

COLUMNS WITH BRONZE STATUES
At the entrance to the Borgo Aquileia road axis stand two columns.
At their top are two sculptures whose original versions are now preserved in the Civic Historical Museum of Palmanova.
The sculpture depicting the Archangel Michael, dating from the late 16th century, is a clear allegory of divine justice.
The second figure, created in the 17th century, still raises several interpretative questions.
During Venetian rule, criminals of the fortress were executed between these two columns.

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