A wide rectangular space, framed by Renaissance porticos and dominated on its western side by the imposing Collegiate Church of Santo Stefano, Piazza Unità d’Italia (Novellara’s main square) lies at the very heart of the town’s life. It is enlivened by historic workshops, and serves as the backdrop for fairs and markets throughout the year. The colorful façades of the surrounding houses follow Lelio Orsi’s initial design, while the layout of the flowerbeds - although contrasting with the square’s 16th-century appearance - aligns with the positioning of Giuseppe Graziosi’s 1925 “Monumento ai Caduti” (War Memorial).

Beneath the portico, near the square, stands the Church of the Beata Vergine del Popolo (Blessed Virgin of the People), founded in 1704, which preserves the image of the Blessed Virgin of the Snows, transferred here from its original location on the castle’s entrance wall.