Mercantile Museum and Mercantile Palace

The Mercantile Museum traces the economic history of Bolzano with 17th and 18th century collections of documents, paintings and furnishings. It is housed in the Mercantile Building, which was formerly the seat of the Mercantile Court, founded in 1635, and former office of the Chamber of Commerce.

The tour leads through various council rooms, the chancellery, and the hall of honor, with its original furnishings, historical documents, paintings and objects of art. Of particular interest is the beautiful interior courtyard and two lines of loggia, the monumental staircase and the elegant hall of honour.

The Palazzo Mercantile - Merkantilgebäude (Mercantile Palace) was the ancient seat of the Mercantile Magistracy founded 1635 by the archduchess Claudia de‘ Medici as a court for the fair activities in Bolzano - Bozen.

The current building was built between 1708 and 1727 by the brothers Giovanni and Giuseppe Delai based on the plan by the Verona architect Francesco Perotti.