Casa Panigarola, Gothic palace in Piazza Mercanti, Milan, Italy
Casa Panigarola is a Gothic palace in Milan's Piazza Mercanti featuring pointed arches and decorated ogival windows set into its medieval facade. Terracotta cornices with leaf motifs run across the front, with a gated passage on the right side connecting to the adjacent building.
The building was owned by the Panigarola family, notaries from Gallarate, who held it until 1741 and managed the Office of Statutes. This office was responsible for registering ducal decrees that governed Milan during the medieval and Renaissance periods.
The portico displays a ceramic plaque warning visitors about legal conflicts, reflecting how justice was a central concern in this medieval neighborhood. The warning shows the serious role this building played in the lives of ordinary people.
The left section houses a restaurant where you can sit and view the architecture from inside, while the right section contains a passage that connects to the adjacent Palazzo della Ragione. You can walk through freely during daytime hours and observe the medieval stonework and decorative details up close.
The portico floor features a relief of the biscione, a serpent symbol tied to the House of Sforza, one of Milan's most powerful families. This carved emblem reveals how the building's importance connected it to the broader network of power that shaped the city.
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