Guercino Square
The pulsating heart of the city's life, the thermometer of the popular mood, Guercino's Square is Cento's living room,site of the town's most important cultural, religious, traditional, economic and sporting events. Two important porticoed buildings of great historical and artistic value form the backdrop to the
square.
Governor's Palace:
built in 1502 at the time of the wedding of Alfonso I d'Este and Lucrezia Borgia and Cento's annexation by the Dukedom of Ferrara. It was built to offer a worthy residence for the commissaries of Ferrara in charge of governing the city.
The building's current neo-medieval look dates back to the radical restoration of 1919, while the central tower, known as the Clock Tower, was built in elegant classical forms by Cento architect Francesco Giraldini around 1550.
The palace interior hosts A. Bonzagni Modern Art Gallery.
City Hall:
Built beginning in 1612 on the site of a number of private homes, the city hall was decorated with frescoes by Guercino on the exterior.
The facade is now divided in half by a marble balcony that cuts it in two along its entire length: the upper part is crowned by a scenographic structure bearing the city's coat of arms, while the lower part has a portico with three arcades supported by octagonal columns.
The Council hall is worthy of note for its decorations.