The archaeological excavations carried out under Palazzo della Ragione in 1991-92 by the Superintendence of Archaeological Heritage of Veneto brought to light important documents on the stratified building growth of the city before 1218, the year in which the construction of the Palace began. Roman and medieval houses were demolished for its construction; their remains can now be seen through two longitudinal tunnels and a cross tunnel.
The North Gallery hosts the remains of a building for public use of significant size, a tower house from the 12th century, an earthen floor of a residential building, a street and a moat.
The cross gallery hosts the remains of a structure with brick walls, clay floors and a small fireplace.
In the South gallery, instead, there are the remains of a house-fortress made of trachyte blocks and bricks from the Roman period, a well, a cellar that was probably used as a cell of the Ancient Prisons, a tower building with a barrel vaulted brick cellar, and a mosaic floor with black and white tiles of a Roman domus from the 1st-2nd century AD collapsed after a fire.
The entrance to the Archaeological Area is located in the central corridor below the Palazzo della Ragione with a metal grate with stairs. The guided tour conducted by archaeologists takes one hour. Click here
