Piazza del Popolo is Orvieto's second main square, dominated by the Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo, a handsome late 13th-century civic palace that has served as a seat of government for more than seven centuries. The palazzo's ground-floor arcade and the grand external staircase give the piazza much of its character.
The square is used for markets and is a good place to sit at a café table away from the cathedral crowds. The upper loggia of the palazzo is sometimes open for exhibitions. The square connects via short streets to the Corso Cavour, Orvieto's main pedestrian street, which runs the length of the plateau.