Logge di Banchi, Renaissance loggia near Arno River, Pisa, Italy
Logge di Banchi is a Renaissance loggia on Pisa's Arno riverbank with twelve marble pillars supporting a square base structure. An upper floor was added during the eighteenth century, and beneath the building lie public facilities including restrooms and shower services.
Bernardo Buontalenti designed this marketplace in 1603 under Grand Duke Ferdinando I de'Medici for trade in wool, silk, and grain. The structure underwent later modifications to adapt to the city's changing needs over the centuries.
The name "Banchi" refers to the market stalls that stood here; the loggia housed Pisa's wool and silk market and still hosts occasional markets. From 1865 it was the seat of the State Archives of Pisa. Its profile beside the Clock Tower appears in views of the Pisan lungarni.
The site is directly on the Arno and easily reached by walking along the riverbank or through the city center. Visitors should note that access and opening hours may vary depending on local events and seasonal activities.
The upper floor, raised in 1814, is linked to Palazzo Gambacorti by a walkway, and the volutes of its earlier pediment were removed that year. In 1925 a daytime hotel of the Cobianchi chain was dug into the basements; the space now serves as public restrooms, restored in 2012.
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