Verona.

The arcaded merchants' hall faces Piazza delle Erbe and preserves a compact reminder of commerce in medieval Verona's civic center.

Its sturdy Romanesque form contrasts with the painted houses and Baroque Palazzo Maffei around the square. That contrast makes a brief exterior stop more revealing than the building's size suggests. The defining details are the ground-floor arcade opening directly toward the market square; its restrained stone and brick with the ornate facades opposite.

• Notice the ground-floor arcade opening directly toward the market square.
• Compare its restrained stone and brick with the ornate facades opposite.

View the exterior while circling Piazza delle Erbe.

Interior access is not part of the visit, so allow about ten minutes.