Centro Storico: The Heart of Cismarina

The Historic Center developed after the Villa Neighborhood but today forms the core of Cismarina. Within its boundaries stand the buildings that house the city’s main government institutions.

Originally established in one of the less hospitable yet more vegetation-free areas—making it suitable for new streets and structures—the Historic Center began with just a few buildings (some later replaced or renovated). Over the decades, it has grown into one of the city’s most densely populated neighborhoods, as well as one of the most architecturally interesting.

In its early years, the neighborhood’s eastern limit was defined by the Wall Arch, which still stands today roughly halfway along the city’s main avenue. Later expansion projects extended the neighborhood—and eventually the entire city—in every direction, spreading across the surrounding territory.

The Wall Arch is the city’s second-oldest medieval structure (after the Castle) and has preserved its original form despite minor structural alterations over the centuries.

At the center of the early Historic Center stood the House, a reconstruction of my grandparents’ home demolished after the 2012 Emilia earthquake. The building was often criticized for its difficult architectural and stylistic integration with later constructions—such as the Palace of Victory and the Portico Palace—but it has always resisted demolition.

The neighborhood also contains the city’s deepest stone quarry, later transformed into an altar and monument.

The Shopping Center, built alongside the neighborhood’s earliest structures, has one of the most complicated operational histories; today it serves as headquarters for the city’s Guilds.

Finally, the urban fabric of the Historic Center is closely interwoven with that of the Monumental-Mount Neighborhood. For this reason, lawmakers have long referred to them as Neighborhoods 3a and 3b, with the final letter indicating their historical order of development.

Palace of the Porticoes ("Palazzo Portici")

The Palace of the Porticoes is a large complex occupying much of the northern side of the Central Avenue of the Historic Center. Originally, it consisted of two separate structures—the first Porticoes Palace and the Tower built at the same time as the Wall Arch. The two were initially joined using differing styles, with the Tower adapted for offices and conference halls. Later, the entire complex was renovated in a unified architectural style when it was decided that the Palace of the Porticoes would host all the government offices of Cismarina. Over the years, the palace has undergone several adaptations and today is considered one of the most remarkable buildings in the Republic.

Throne Tower ("Torre del Trono")

Standing north of the Palace of the Porticoes, the Throne Tower was originally constructed as the Geographic Tower during the search for a location to place the city map. It later became the Seat of the Throne of Cismarina until the end of the Kingdom. The tower still preserves its original staircase and throne, together with a broken Elytra and the city’s aged flags.

Palace of Victory ("Palazzo della Vittoria")

The Palace of Victory has been rebuilt at least twice. In its place once stood two separate buildings dating back to the earliest version of the Historic Center. The current palace takes its name from the Museum of Victory, which occupies it and preserves banners from the victories against the Pillagers, as well as other artifacts acquired during various expeditions.

Cismarina 1

Cismarina 1 is the oldest surviving tower in the city. It was modified and even relocated during the renovation of the Historic Center’s Shopping Center, which now serves as headquarters of the Guilds of Cismarina.

Government Palace ("Palazzo del Governo")

The Government Palace was built on a section of desert once occupied by the Saloon, the very first structure ever erected in the Cismarina Desert. Once a remote area, reachable only by an early railway line passing through the elevated district of Upper City, it is now fully integrated into the Historic Center and stands as one of the most central locations in Cismarina.

The design of the Government Palace was directly inspired by Turin’s Palazzo Madama, both inside and out. Shortly afterwards, the Parliament Hall of Cismarina was built nearby. Until the year 7000 it served as the seat of the Republic’s entire Parliament, and today it houses only the Government of the City of Cismarina, while Grontolom and Vestia are represented by two separate parliaments. The adjacent Government Square, built during the same period, is also of note.

Central Warehouse ("Magazzino Centrale")

The Central Warehouse is the largest in the Republic. Recently automated and expanded, it was originally conceived as the city’s main hub for resource collection, replacing all other depots. As a cornerstone for the city’s development, it was later doubled in size to further improve supply management.

Palace of Civilization ("Palazzo della Civiltà")

The Palace of Civilization is a monumental building inspired by the Palace of Italian Civilization in Rome. It was built as the final landmark of Cismarina’s Central Avenue, marking the shift to the new Historic Center away from the Villa. In its early years, it functioned as an elevated railway station. Over time, however, it was valued more for its monumental and architectural qualities, with its rational, imposing design standing out in the Historic Center.

The Ziggurat (Seat of the Tribunal of Cismarina)

Built during the royal era as a monumental structure, it was initially conceived as an experimental construction. At the very top of the massive structure stood a parallelepiped of diamonds, obtained through cheats, which was later replaced with a parallelepiped of stone once the law mandating the destruction of all precious materials acquired through cheats came into effect.

Soon after, particularly with the advent of the Lucian Constitution drafted by King Lucio II, there arose the need to establish a permanent seat for the City Court. The imposing presence of the Ziggurat evoked the sense of austerity befitting such an institution, and thus it was designated as the seat of the Court; a role it continues to fulfill today.