Once called Piazza Maggiore, it was renamed in 1945 after Erminio Ferretto, a young local partisan hero. Through the 20th century, this long, irregular square transformed from a bustling market into a hub of entertainment and business, with theatres, cinemas, sophisticated cafés, and banks. Its names changed over time—from Piazza Umberto I in 1900, after the assassinated King, to Piazza Ettore Muti during the Republic of Salò.

Its unusual shape still reveals its past as a thoroughfare, and its proximity to the Marzenego made it an early commercial hotspot.

Under the porticoes, modest shops gradually gave way to more elegant storefronts. By the late 19th century, the square’s centre was adorned by the impressive Palazzo da Re, nestled between the fountain and flagpole. Plaques on its façade commemorate Giuseppe Garibaldi’s visit in 1867 and the 1848 liberation of Mestre from Austrian rule.

Keep an eye out for the Liberty-style Cinema Excelsior, inaugurated around 1913, one of Mestre’s first cinemas, in operation until 2013. Across from the fountain, the mid-1920s building by Arcangelo Vivit soars above the square, once linking it to Piazza Barche (today Piazza XXVII Ottobre).

The Duomo of Mestre, dedicated to San Lorenzo, anchors the southern end. Nearby, the Emeroteca dell’Arte offers a modern cultural touch, hosting artists-in-residence, exhibitions, and a buzzing literary café.

Car-free and charming, Piazza Ferretto today is further enhanced by a graceful fountain, centred around Alberto Viani’s golden-bronze sculpture Nudo di donna.

Pane in Piazza

What to see in the surroundings

Piazza Erminio Ferretto