The building of the Old Town Hall - Palazzo della Ragione - is located in the historic part of Milan, on Piazza Mercanti.
This palace was built in the XIII century by order of Oldrado da Tresseno, the first mayor of Milan, whose equestrian statue can be seen in the niche of the palazzo.
Originally, this building, which, it must be said, was quite remarkable for its time, housed the city authorities.
During the reign of Maria Theresa, in 1773, the palace was reconstructed and expanded. At that time, a second floor with rounded windows was added, and the building was handed over to the legal archive.
If you look closely, you will notice that on one of the walls of the town hall you can still make out an ancient bas-relief depicting the symbol of Milan - a wild boar. And on the upper floors of this building, ancient frescoes have still survived quite well in some places.
Today, Palazzo della Ragione houses various offices, and various photo exhibitions are held in some of its halls.
