In recent years, the historic center of Rovigo has undergone a significant redevelopment, which also affected the area of the castle with the gardens and Piazza Matteotti, with the installation of marble slabs to create a platform around the monument.
Within the gardens stands the base of the flagpole which, coming from the town square, was moved to the portico of the church of the Rotonda where it remained for about a century before finding its final location. The base is decorated with four sirens that support the coat of arms of Doge Pasquale Cicogna.
The bronze monument dedicated to Giacomo Matteotti, located in the square, in front of the towers, was created by the artist Augusto Murer in 1978. A powerful work, a tear in the silence, the hand that stands out in the void, almost emphasizing the phrase “Kill me but do not kill the idea that is in me.” This is the tribute that the artist has paid to Giacomo Matteotti, originally from Fratta Polesine, a socialist deputy assassinated in 1924 for denouncing the electoral fraud that brought the fascist party to power.
