Piazza Mercantile is the most important square of Bari, the city’s commercial center since the 14th century, and today a location for cultural events. In the square, we can find the Palazzo del Sedile, with a 16th century clock tower on top, the Palazzo della Dogana, built probably in the 16th century by the Duchess of Milan, Isabella of Aragon, the stone lion, or Colonna infame, and the baroque fountain Fontana della Pigna. SHORT HISTORY Piazza Mercantile, located close to the Porto Vecchio, was home to the Municipality of Bari since at least the second half of the 15th century, when the Palazzo del Sedile was built. At the beginning of the 17th century, under the Sforzas, the area was subjected to a renewal program, after the event of 1601, when most of the buildings in the square were burned to the ground, including the Palazzo del Sedile and the city’s arsenal. The Palazzo del Sedile was rebuilt soon after the fire and embelished with a bell tower. At the beginning of the 19th century, after the municipal seat of the city moved from the Palazzo del Sedile in Via Palazzo di Città, Piazza Mercantile retained the role of Read more [...]
All Squares in Bari
Piazza del Ferrarese forms one of the principal gateways between the Murat district, the seafront, and Bari Vecchia. The square is bordered by the former fish market, Sala Murat, and the remains of the Vallisa church. A ramp from the square leads upward toward Via Venezia and the historic fortifications overlooking the waterfront.
Immediately beside it, Piazza Mercantile was the commercial and administrative heart of medieval Bari and remains one of the old town’s most important gathering places. Its landmarks include Palazzo del Sedile, Palazzo della Dogana, a historic fountain, and the stone lion associated with the so-called Colonna Infame, or Column of Justice.