 This
eighteenth century piazza or square was formerly known as Piazza
delle Erbe. Benedetto Afieri rebuilt it in the latter half of the
eighteenth century. The design was supposed to bring an architectural
conformity to the street, square and surrounding buildings and create
a perfect balance between the arcades and the statue of the Green
Count.
In the fourteenth century the first vegetable market in Turin was
created at the Piazza delle Erbe (Piazza Palazzo di Citta) at the
point where Via Porta Palatina, Via San Tommaso and Via Garibaldi
meet. It became an established center in the city of Turin for culinary
herbs and game.
 In
the center of the piazza there is a monument dedicated to Count
Verde It is a statue of Amedeo VI of Savoy. He was known as “Il
Conte Verde” or the Green Count. He was the hero of the Crusade
of 1366. Pelagio Pelagi who was a famous Bolognese architect, painter
and decorator designed this monument.
Completing the square is a seventeenth century building. It is
called the Palazzo di Citta. It is a grand baroque building built
and designed by Francesco Lafranchi between 1659 and1663.  Benedetto
Alfieri enlarged it and altered it in the mid eighteenth century.
He added two symmetrical sides in the same architectural style of
the square he designed in 1756 in front of this building namely
Piazza Palazzo di Citta. Valeriano Dellala di Bienasco and Fillipo
Castelli also added their own extensions. Further architectural
and decorative work was also continued in the nineteenth century.
 Palazzo
di Citta now hosts the Turin City’s Administrative Head Offices.
There is a beautiful balcony on the simple façade. It has
a grand courtyard. A majestic staircase leads up to the Marmi Room
and several important halls where the Turin City Council sits. Many
of the halls in the first floor have retained their original seventeenth
century decorations. A corridor along the staircase leads to the
Cortile del Burro. This is so named because this are was originally
a market place.
During the Winter Olympics in Turin in 2006 the Mayor kept the
Olympic torch in custody for the night of February 9, 2006 at the
Piazza Palazzo di Citta.
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