Palazzo della Ragione

This guide to Palazzo della Ragione in Milan tells the story of Oldrado da Tresseno, the nobleman from Lodi who became Milan's chief magistrate in 1233 and raised this courthouse hall in a matter of months. It follows the equestrian statue and Latin epitaph he had carved of himself while still alive, boasting of his work alongside the inquisitor Peter of Verona hunting the Cathars, a persecuted religious sect. Look up at the arches facing the old market square, where his carved horseman still rides above the traders and tourists below.