Piazza and Palazzo della Mercanzia
Located a few steps from the Two Towers, Piazza della Mercanzia and the palace of the same name stand in the area once occupied by a large city market, the Quadrilatero market. In medieval times in front of the Palazzo della Mercanzia were the stalls of a lively market that stretched as far as the Asinelli and Garisenda towers, where under Visconti rule merchants and patrons were strictly controlled by soldiers to prevent riots and uprisings from breaking out.
In addition to the market, this area was once populated by towers, such as the Artenisi, the Guidozagni and the Riccadonna tower, which were unfortunately demolished in 1919. In the early 20th century, the nearby Via Rizzoli was widened which led to the destruction of ancient neighbouring areas and buildings of great historical value, including the aforementioned towers. The protests of many Bolognese academics and the petition signed by D'Annunzio himself were to no avail.
The origins of the Palazzo della Mercanzia
Construction of the Palazzo della Mercanzia began in 1384 and was completed in 1391. The architects Lorenzo Bagnomarino and Antonio di Vincenzo collaborated on the design of the building, the same architects who were asked to design the Basilica of San Petronio only a few years later. Originally, the palace was used as the seat of the city customs and tax collection.
However, the current appearance of the building does not correspond to the original design. An initial restoration took place when the adjacent
Torre de Bianchi collapsed on the palace, knocking down part of it. It was the time of the rule of Giovanni II Bentivoglio, and the event caused the death of many people, while others were buried under the rubble. Among them was a porter who survived the massacre and became the protagonist of an
anecdote handed down through the ages It is said that, once he was freed from the rubble, he claimed to have heard the trumpets of the Last Judgement sounding, when in fact it was simply the alarm bells.
Then, during the Second World War, the façade of the building was
partly destroyed by a bomb that fell to the ground intact and then exploded. Reconstruction work was therefore started in 1949, giving the building its present appearance.
The interior of the Palace
Today the Palazzo della Mercanzia is the headquarters of the
Bologna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Agriculture and Crafts, and is therefore closed to the public and can only be visited on special occasions.
Inside you can still find the insignia of the ancient city trade corporations, such as the Goldsmiths', Salaroli's, Barbers' and many others. But the palazzo houses something even more special, that is the recipes of the Bolognese culinary tradition, deposited here as a heritage to be handed down to future generations. Among the recipes housed in the palace are
ragù alla Bolognese,
lasagne verdi, tortellini and even the certosino, a Christmas cake. The building also houses the so-called
'tagliatella d'oro', a golden tagliatella created to decree the correct size of this pasta type.
Stepping outside, on the façade of the building, we notice the small balcony used centuries ago by the Merchants' Court to announce its sentences to the people. Those who were condemned were tied to a ring placed on a column of the portico, now disappeared, and there they remained at the mercy of the public.
Finally, on the right side of the building along Via Castiglione one can still read an inscription dating back to 1417, which states that the students of the Bolognese university could enjoy certain benefits, such as free clothes, books and food.
