Home and business together
The Shop Houses, like those that overlook Herbs Square And Broletto Square, were built to combine living spaces and commercial activities under one roof. The houses had a narrow façade and an elongated interior, with a vertical layout spanning two or three floors. The living quarters, located on the first floor, allowed merchants to keep an eye on their goods at all times and balance their business with their family's needs.
THE Porticoes, a place that has always been intended for the market.
On the ground floor, corresponding to the current shops, there were artisan workshops and warehouses, where merchants could store their merchandise and take it out every morning, setting up the sales counter under the Porticoes. The stalls were set up every morning by pulling the planks from the cellars through the grates still visible today between one arch and the next at sidewalk level. The attic could serve as an additional storage area.