The 13th-century Arengario in Monza

The Arengario, nestled in the heart of Monza, stands as a historic building in the most central square, Piazza Roma. Built in the 13th century, it was named after its original function as the town's "arengario" (i.e, town hall).

Its architecture is clearly inspired by that of the Palazzo della Ragione of Milan, with a portico surmounted by a single upper floor that was used for councils. The side of the building facing South has a small stone loggia added in 1330, informally known as "la Parléra" (in Lombard, "the speaking place"), where the commune's decrees were declaimed to the population.

In the 14th century, a bell tower was added to the building, decorated with Ghibelline-styled merlons. In the original structure, external stairs led to the upper floor; these were replaced in 1904 with a new stairway inside the tower.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons