The Western side to Piazza Duomo is occupied by the elegant building that locals to this day refer to as “the Guardhouse”. During the 19th century it hosted the troops that had the task of patrolling the city, and it was erected on the same spot as the old Spanish guardhouse. The three-storey building was meant to decorate and play an official role in such a crucial corner of the city. Construction works started in 1835. Today it ceased playing its old function, and it hosts fancy boutiques as well as offices. The frieze that decorates the façade depicts the peace treaty between the Guelph and the Ghibellines that was signed in Novara on the 20th December 1310. The heart of the composition is Emperor Henry VII, who acted as a mediator between the two parties. The upper portion of the building is crowned by a female statue personifying Novara. She is holding the city’s coat of arms in one hand, and a horn of plenty, which is a symbol of wealth, in the other. Both works are by sculptor Gerolamo Rusca.