The square replaced the 'Brescia medievale,' a district of narrow alleys and structures, during a period of urban renewal known as 'sventramento'.
The Torrione INA, located on the square, was one of the tallest concrete buildings in Europe when it opened in 1932.
Many of the square's buildings feature decorative reliefs and mosaics commissioned to celebrate the regime's ideology.
The project architect, Marcello Piacentini, was a key figure in the development of the 'Stile Littorio,' an Italian interpretation of Rationalist and Neoclassical architecture.
Underneath the piazza lies a massive multi-level underground parking facility, which was a pioneering engineering project for its time.
The square is intentionally oriented to align with specific vistas of the surrounding Brescian hills.
Piazza della Vittoria is a significant example of 1930s Rationalist urban planning in Brescia, commissioned by the Fascist regime and designed by architect Marcello Piacentini. It was constructed between 1927 and 1932, requiring the demolition of the medieval city center. The square is defined by the Torrione INA, a skyscraper that was one of the first of its kind in Italy and remains a focal point of the skyline. Its architecture features geometric austerity, marble cladding, and stone accents characteristic of the era. The site historically served as a space for mass propaganda and public assemblies. Today, it functions as a prominent urban square used for public markets, events, and underground parking. Its layout includes a central open space framed by porticoed buildings with commercial spaces at street level.
From the center of the piazza looking up at the Torrione INA to capture the scale of the Rationalist architecture.
Walk the perimeter of the porticoes to view the diverse sculptural reliefs on the building facades.
Visit the underground areas if you have an interest in early 20th-century subterranean concrete engineering.
Look for the 'Arengario,' a balcony structure on the main building originally intended for public speeches.
Do not mistake the modern surrounding shopping streets for the historical square itself; keep the square as your central point of orientation.
