Piazza Vecchia is the political centre of Bergamo. On the right stands the Palladian-style Palazzo Scamozziano, home to the city library and its 500,000 volumes, while to the left, the Palazzo della Ragione, the oldest town hall in Italy, dates from the 12C. The arcades of the Palazzo della Ragione lead to the beautiful Piazza del Duomo, home to the city's most important religious monuments. The Torre Civica, which keeps watch over the Palazzo del Podestà, commands a fine view.