Muster square in Bolzano

The name Muster square comes from the Latin "mostratio" meaning to show, exhibit. This is because in medieval times, during the famous fairs the bulkier goods which could not be fitted into the Mercantile Palace were put on show there.

Palais Pock

The Palais Pock in the Muster-Platz square was the town residence of a Bolzano merchant who was said to have been anything but unassuming and who, in the eyes of his contemporaries, was a war profiteer. In its heyday the Palais Pock accomodated a theatre with seating for over 200 persons.

An inscription on the wall of the edifice dates its present-day appearance to 1759. The Austrian emperor Josef stayed two months before his coronation in 1765, followed by the pope Pius VI in 1766. Two further Austrian emperors, Franz I and Franz Josef, stayed there in 1820 and 1905 respectively.