Description of the attraction
Via Argentiere, also known as the Silbergasse, starts southwest of Piazza del Grano in Bolzano and runs to Kornplatz with its fruit and vegetable markets. Today this medieval street, once just a southern embankment that surrounded the old episcopal village, is one of the most interesting and popular among tourists.
The name Via Argentiere, which translates as "Silver Street", has nothing to do with silver. Moreover, it has never housed workshops for goldsmiths or silversmiths - they were located on the neighboring Goethestraße, which in ancient times was called Schustergasse ("Shoemaker Street"). The modern name of the street comes from the name of the "Silver House", which was located at the corner of Piazza del Grano and Kornplatz squares. In turn, the origin of the name of the house is still unknown.
Around the 12th century, Via Argentieri was a city moat filled with water, and therefore the houses facing north are the oldest in Bolzano. To this day, these houses are connected to the city's famous "Covered Galleries" by a system of passageways.
Today, Via Argentiere is home to shops, restaurants, taverns and wine cellars. On the right side is the Baroque Palazzo Mercantile from the first half of the 18th century, into which there are wide steps. Inside is the Museum of Commerce, where you can get acquainted with the economic history of Bolzano from the 17th and 18th centuries. The museum's collection includes documents, drawings and furniture from that era. Particularly noteworthy is the Palazzo's beautiful courtyard with two rows of balconies, a majestic staircase and an elegant Hall of Fame.
A little further, on the same side of the street, stands the Casa Troilo house, built in 1603, with columns and an internal passage that connects Via Argentieri with the Covered Galleries.
