Loggia Palace, Venetian Gothic palace in Tito Square, Koper, Slovenia.
Loggia Palace is a Venetian Gothic building on the north side of Koper's main square, opposite the Praetorian Palace. Its ground floor opens onto the square through a row of pointed arches, and a lion of St Mark stands above the entrance. A second storey was added in 1698, and the corner statue of the Madonna and Child is now a copy, the original having been moved to the local museum.
The palace was built in the second half of the 15th century, replacing an older building on the same spot. It was substantially altered at the end of the 17th century, which gave it the form it has today.
The ground floor has housed a cafe since 1846, and the upper floor now holds an art gallery run by the Piran Coastal Galleries. The facade carries the coat of arms and name of the Venetian podestà Marco Michele Salamon, who ordered the 1698 extension.
The palace sits on the main square of Koper and is easy to reach on foot from most of the old town. The ground floor holds a cafe open during the day, while the upper floor hosts temporary exhibitions with their own opening hours.
After an epidemic in the 16th century, the building received decorative additions including coats of arms and a terracotta Madonna figure on its facade. These ornaments are still visible today and mark how the local community responded to that crisis.
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