Piazza della Mercanzia-ingl.

PIAZZA DELLA MERCANZIA is located just a few steps from the Two Towers, at the intersection of the ancient Via Emilia (now Strada Maggiore) and the Via Salaria to Ravenna (now Via San Vitale). The square developed as early as Roman times and, during the Middle Ages, became the heart of a bustling market that extended to the Asinelli and Garisenda Towers. At the centre of the square stands the Palazzo della Mercanzia, built between 1384 and 1391, designed by Antonio di Vincenzo and Lorenzo Bagnomarino. The building, originally used as the customs house and now the seat of the Chamber of Commerce, was constructed with Istrian stone and brick. Its façade features two large ogival arches, Gothic double-arched windows, and a small sculpted marble balcony, from which public verdicts were once read aloud to the crowd, marked by the tolling of the Lucardina bell. Those convicted of what we would now call fraudulent bankruptcy were tied to a central column and exposed to public humiliation. The portico is adorned with statues of saints, attributed to the Dalle Masegne brothers, Venetian Gothic sculptors. In the central niche, beneath the balcony, stands a statue of the Virgin enthroned. The building has undergone various restorations, including a Renaissance-era one after the nearby Torre de’ Bianchi collapsed onto it, partially destroying it, and others following World War II. The palace is topped by the Torre delle Perle, now visible only from elevated viewpoints, as its height was reduced after a collapse in 1448. Inside, a curious detail is the official repository of traditional Bolognese recipes, including those for ragù, tortellini, certosino (a traditional Christmas cake), and green lasagna. It also houses the famous “golden tagliatella”, a gold strip indicating the ideal width of this egg pasta. Fun fact: on the side facing Via Castiglione, a 15th-century plaque is embedded in the wall, commemorating the privileges once granted by the city to university students. At number 3, Piazza della Mercanzia, and the entrance to Via Santo Stefano, are the Reggiani and Seracchioli Houses, once used as offices for the Gabella (tax collection). The house on the left, dating back to the 13th century, retains its original doorway and some pointed arch windows of the mezzanine; the rest of the façade is modern but inspired by medieval Bolognese architecture. The house on the right features a restored wooden portico and a picturesque balcony added in 1924. The rightmost column toward Via Santo Stefano is not made of wood, but of reinforced concrete covered in wood. Next to them stands the Torre degli Alberici, which houses the oldest shop in the city, operating since 1273. Its windows open like small drawbridges, with side shutters dropping down to form counters and an upper shutter that lifts with chains, typical of the Medieval era.