Piazza XX Settembre
Piazza XX Settembre runs long and narrow between two wings of porticoed buildings, the kind of proportions that make a crowd feel intimate rather than overwhelming. The neoclassical arcades — several of them the work of local architect Giuseppe Bovara, who reshaped much of Lecco between 1820 and 1839 — give the square a composed, almost theatrical frame.
This was once the city's main market square, a role it held for centuries before the name changed in 1895. Today it sits between the lakefront at Piazza Cermenati and the theatre square at Piazza Garibaldi, which means almost everyone passing through Lecco passes through here.
💛 What travellers fall for
People who know the square tend to use the porticos deliberately — as shelter when the afternoon thunderstorms roll in from the lake, or as a shaded route between the Torre Viscontea and Palazzo delle Paure. Look up at the facade of civic number 43 for the plaque marking where geologist and patriot Antonio Stoppani was born in 1824.
The story behind Piazza XX Settembre
Lecco's market tradition here stretches back to at least 1149, when the town hosted one of the largest markets in Upper Lombardy. The square's enclosing buildings gave it a protective, mercantile character that persisted for centuries.
In the fourteenth century, Azzone Visconti built a castle on this ground, the main tower of which — the Torre Viscontea — still stands. By the early nineteenth century, Giuseppe Bovara was leaving his neoclassical mark on the square, including Casa Bertarelli. The piazza carried the plain name Market Square until 1895, when it was renamed to mark the date of the capture of Rome.
Good to know
From Lecco train station, walk straight down Corso Matteotti — about 15 minutes — or take bus line 2. Torre Viscontea is free to enter but closes entirely in August; check the official website for current hours before visiting. Parking is available on Via Mazzini at around €1.50 per hour.
Summers are warm and sunny, with July averaging around 26°C, though afternoon thunderstorms are common — the porticos offer genuine cover when they arrive. January is the driest month, cold and occasionally damp, with temperatures around 6°C; the square sees its biggest crowds during the Christmas light ceremonies.
Where is Piazza XX Settembre?
Location
- In Lecco
- 45.8554, 9.3956
- Open in Google Maps
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