Despite the four buildings of different historic periods, Palazzo Broletto favours of a harmonious coherence, mostly in the central courtyard (or Arengo). The friezes of the building date back to 1460, as the decorations on the pointed vaults arcade. The Palace was the centre of the city’s life, thanks to its central location just a few steps from the Duomo, the Piazza della Repubblica and Corso Italia. The city was once the site of the Prisons, that now house the Gallery of Modern Art. Novara offers an interesting old town centre, rich of numerous religious architectures, especially the Duomo and the Basilica di San Gaudenzio.