A Venetian merchant in Mantua
Although Italy's two waterfront cities have always been linked, a Venetian house in the heart of Mantua is something that immediately catches the eye.
This is about the Merchant's House, the Casa Bottega of Boniforte da Concorezzo, who, having been granted a monopoly by the Gonzagas to sell goods coming from Venice, thought of carving his “advertising poster” in stone by building a house that in every way reproduced the style of the lagoon houses.
A advertising poster in Piazza Erbe.
In 1455, Boniforte inaugurated his residence: four Verona marble columns supporting an entablature with floral carvings and depictions of merchandise, and a majestic façade with terracotta bands enriched by cornices and twisted columns, typical of the Venetian late Gothic style. Originally, the gold and blue colors were intended to accentuate the building's value as a visual landmark. Herbs Square, at the end of the Via Broletto axis, and Concorezzo must have been very happy about it.
A peculiar feature of the Merchant's House They are the figures carved in bas-relief on the architrave above the windows, which bear the symbols of the goods in the store. An e-commerce experience from another era.
