The palace of the Counts of Torre—Thurn or Torriani—was built between the late 15th and early 16th centuries as the family's city residence. Extensively remodeled during the 19th century, little of the original structure remains. Purchased in 1819 by the Austrian Treasury, it became the seat of public institutions such as the Circolare Captaincy and the District Captaincy; today it is the seat of the Prefecture. On the left is the entrance to Via Rastello, which takes its name from the ancient wooden rake gate that blocked access to the village in medieval times. On the right are the buildings demolished in 1936 to open the new city road, Via Roma.

The church of Sant'Ignazio was built by the Jesuits between 1654 and 1767 and dedicated to the founder of the Order. It features the characteristic two onion-shaped bell towers typical of Central Europe. Above the main entrance, the inscription "DIVO Ignatlo De LoloLa soCletatls lesV fVnDatorl" indicates the year 1723 when the statue of Saint Ignatius was placed. Next to the church, in the 17th century, a Jesuit college was built, later used as barracks for the 47th Austrian Infantry Regiment "Baron von Beck." The barracks were demolished in 1938; today it houses the INPS (National Social Security Institute). The column with the statue of the saint was erected in place of a similar wooden votive structure in the second half of the 17th century.

The ancient Piazza Grande, the heart of the old city, not yet a thoroughfare, extends toward Via dei Signori—now Via Carducci. The image clearly shows the triangular shape of the square, where the market, the city fair, band performances, and capital punishment were once held. It was originally a large grassy area called "Travnik," which in Slovenian means meadow. Between the 15th and 16th centuries, it began to be surrounded by houses. The main city businesses faced onto the square. It was named after Victory when, at the end of the First World War, Gorizia became part of the Kingdom of Italy.

The first building on the right is the historic Paternolli bookshop; the architectural façade is still uninterrupted by the opening of the Bombi gallery, built to replace the narrow and almost invisible Coceviutta passage. On the left is the house of the philosopher Carlo Michelstaedter (1887-1910), commemorated by a stone plaque. The Neptune Fountain is the work of Nicolò Pacassi (1716-1779). Over time, the square has had various names, reflecting the diverse identities of the population: Anger—from the German "square"—in the Middle Ages, Travnik, Piazza Maggiore, and Piazza Grande.