Domki budnicze w Poznaniu, Historic merchant houses in Old Market Square, Poznań, Poland
The Domki budnicze, also known as the Merchants' Houses, are a row of narrow brick buildings along the eastern side of the Old Market Square in Poznań, Poland. Each house is fronted by an arcade supported by sandstone columns, and the upper facades carry carved Renaissance details.
Wooden stalls for herring sellers stood on this spot as far back as the 13th century. Over the following two centuries they were gradually replaced by the current brick buildings as trade on the square grew.
The ground floors of these houses are home to small galleries and shops selling work by local artists. The open arcades make it easy to browse slowly, moving from one display to the next without entering the buildings.
The buildings face directly onto the Old Market Square and can be seen from the street at any time of day. The arcades provide some shelter from rain, making it easy to look at the carved details even in poor weather.
A sandstone column at house number 11 has the year 1535 carved into it, marking the date when that part of the row was built. The number is easy to spot as you walk through the arcade and look at the columns up close.
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