The long, narrow town square of Piazza delle Erbe was formed in 1277. The original walls and gates were taken down and the moat filled in by order of Count Mainardo thus making this the economic heart of the area under his direct rule. The Fontana di Nettuno of 1745 is situated here with a statue of the sea god with his trident and bronze shells - locally this is known as the ‘innkeeper with a fork’. In the late 18th Century a hotel in the square was frequented by Goethe and Emperor Josef II.
