Logge di Banchi

Historic Building in Pisa

The Logge di Banchi, designed by Bernardo Buontalenti and built by Cosimo Pugliani between 1603 and 1605, was commissioned by the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Ferdinando I de’Medici. It served as a market space for various commodities, including wool, silk, money exchange, and cereals.

To construct the Logge di Banchi, part of the medieval quarter with tower houses and narrow streets, where some of the wealthiest families lived, was demolished. The scroll beneath the Grand Duke’s coat of arms on the side of the building and archaeological excavations in the adjacent alley confirm this historical transformation.

The original 17th-century Loggia had a lower storey of arches supported by 12 massive pilasters in rusticated marble, resting on plinths with a low relief banderole above. However, the upper floor, initially decorated with two banderoles on the façade facing the Arno, was redesigned with a gabled pediment when the Rivers and Ditches office was replaced by the State Archives in 1865.

In 1925, the basement of the Logge di Banchi was transformed into a daytime “hotel” in Liberty style. This hotel offered various amenities such as WCs, showers, bathrooms, a barber, manicurists, chiropodists, and a cleaner. During the excavation work for this transformation, an exceptional trove of gold coins from the 13th century was discovered and is now housed in the Museo di S. Matteo.

For a long time, the “hotel” remained closed, but it underwent renovation in 2000 and is now open to the public. The Logge di Banchi serves as an important historical and architectural landmark in Pisa, reflecting the city’s past as a bustling market and trade center. Today, visitors can explore and appreciate this fascinating historical structure while enjoying its modern amenities and public spaces.

The Logge di Banchi appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Pisa!

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