civic buildings were symbols of a city's independence and prosperity,their location a reflection of its history. in italy,where the bishops had been overlords, early town hall were situated close to the cathedral complex and the market to assert the jurisdiction of the commune:an early example is the broletto in como,begun in 1215 which has an arcaded ground floor opening on to the market with a council room above.later,distinct municipal centres developed in self-confident communes.