Piazza Matteotti is the main square of Brescello, the town’s heart and symbol.

On either side stand the bronze statues of characters Don Camillo and Peppone, created in 2001 by Mantuan sculptor Andrea Zangani, to mark the 50th anniversary of the first dedicated film.

At the centre of the square rises the statue of Ercole Benefattore, set upon a marble pedestal and sculpted in 1553 by Jacopo Tatti, known as the Sansovino, in honour of Ercole II d’Este. Originally placed in the square of the ancient Rocca, a now-lost fortress, the sculpture was abandoned once its setting was destroyed in 1704. In 1727 it was relocated to the present Matteotti Square, where a replica now stands. The original is preserved in the “Albino Umiltà” Archaeological Museum, inside the San Benedetto Cultural Centre.

The Square, framed on two sides by imposing porticoes, is dominated by the Chiesa Parrochiale (the Parish Church), dedicated to Santa Maria Nascente (the Nativity of Virgin Mary).

On the façade of the Town Hall is an inscription in memory of Mario Nizzoli, a renowned philosopher from Brescello who devoted his life to teaching and publishing works on Cicero. Along Via Panizzi, an epigraph marks the birthplace of Antonio Panizzi, a distinguished scholar and senator, considered the father of modern librarianship. The Square also features porticos, residences from different periods, and a lively mix of shops and restaurants.