The town of Cortoghiana, built to provide housing for the workers of the surrounding mines, was designed in 1940 by Modenese architect Saverio Muratori. Of the original design, only one part was realized; the remainder was later modified. As the architect Antonella Sanna writes in her thesis, the original design of the square “[…] was much more articulated than the one actually built, in fact it extended westward still for almost 100 meters […] at the close of the square was planned the cinema and in the center a rectangular building with arcades that in some tables is called town hall.” Venice Square represents the core of sociality, public and religious activities, the identifying site of the Cortoghiana mining center. Its fine architecture lends authority to the small town, raising it to the level of major European centers.
