Palazzo Bussetti or Busetti

In the heart of Reggio Emilia's historical center, Palazzo Busetti tells the story of over four centuries of civic life, weaving together economics, culture, and daily routines.
The palace was built at the behest of the Busetti family, ancient and wealthy silk merchants who were key players in the true "economic miracle" that characterized Reggio Emilia between the end of the sixteenth century and most of the seventeenth century.
During those years, families involved in the processing and trade of this precious yarn accumulated enough wealth to leave an indelible mark on the urban fabric through the construction of major city residences.
Left without heirs, the Busetti family bequeathed their estate to a foundation that retained their name.

Since then, the palace has seen an extraordinary variety of functions, serving at various times as the seat of the Episcopal Seminary (complete with a boarding school and theater), the Jesuit College, and even the University of Reggio, where the famous naturalist Lazzaro Spallanzani once taught.

Over the centuries, the building adapted to the city's changes: it hosted transitioning Napoleonic troops, a renowned restaurant-café on the ground floor - the famous Ristorante-caffè Busetti - commercial activities, a printing press, banking institutions, and major public offices such as the INPS, the Land Registry, and the State Technical Office.

Recently restored, since September 2014 the building has come back to life as a dynamic space, hosting commercial activities inside the modern Galleria Commerciale del Monte.