The shops “Under the Hall”, the most ancient commercial centre of Padua (more than 800 years!)

The “squares”, the Palace of the Reason, also called Hall for the great hanging hall, and the shops Under the Hall represent the heart of Padova, a place lived by the Paduan everydays from centuries.

If the commerce in Padua is always the principal activity, this is the zone par excellence where it is always exercised. The 1200s’ Palace of the Reason was seat of the administrative courts of the city and largely the diatribes were regarding really the commercial relations: the direct passage from the courts towards the prison was happening by means of a kind of “bridge of sighs”, prison names “of the Due ones”, that is completely to say. The present Palace of the Due has been realised in 1874 by Camillo’s Boito in consequence of the destruction of the old prison.

And completely around the Palace of the Reason (read the dedicated post-one) today as in the Middle Ages benchs, stalls, shops (in the basements of the Palace of the Reason where there are traces of the Patavium Roman they are visible spaces that have the whole air of seeming shops). Under the Hall, along two passages that “run” parallels to the two squares, “of the Fruit” to North and “of the Grasses” and in South linked from a central passage many shops of alimentary family are as well as bar and wine cellars.

An unmissable place for anyone wants to visit Padua and to pick his most authentic atmospheres. A post-one that I insert into the category “markets and small markets” but that I insert also into that one more tourist “Museums and monuments“. Do I exaggerate? No, I would say no, the shops Under the Hall and the markets of the squares are always nevertheless an immaterial “monument” of the “patavintas”. Here there can still be heard the accents and dialectal speeches of the province that get mixed with those citizens, the Italian language and the Italian pronounced by the new ones reached from several parts of the world.

The popular dimension of the place is obvious also in some benchs decorated with flags, pennants, and photographies dedicated to the Football Padova and there is quite visible also the image of Saint Antonio represented in some flags. Particularly there are the butcher’s shops to exhibit the image of Saint Antonio. Why? you you will ask … exists the Pious Union Slaughtered “soldiers of the Immaculate one” who, with their blue cloak, have the honour of carrying the statue of the Saint one during the procession in June 13. In the central passage, on the wall you will see images of the Madonna … it looks here there was the altar of the Immaculate one before the Austrian occupation.

An image that all the Paduans ones will have well in mind is that one of the shop window with the basin of the eels of the Adriatic Fish shop. Here in front, generations there stick the children to look at the eels as they were in an aquarium, me myself when I was baby I wanted always stopped myself here!

The markets of the squares and the shops of Under the Hall constitute the first one of the commercial centres of Padova, a commercial centre from more than 800 years, perhaps the most ancient of Italy!

Onece passed under the arches and joints in the passahes covered Under the Hall one finds us wrapped again from the perfume of each well of God. Cheeses, cured pork, hams, meats, fish, wine shown in several banks and shop give to each step an intoxicating olfactory experience that undoubtedly makes coming hunger, at least to whom las the undersigned appreciates. I won’t comment phrases felt in the past of the one who definies there “stinks” that onde that it feels, they don’t deserve answer… The shops Under the Hall represent for the pleasure-loving Paduans ones the reign of the “gluttons”, as said centuries!

Without going too much back with the years, also I can testify like the connection with this market and with the persons who liven up it everydays is living and is trasmitted of generation in generation. I remember, when I was baby, my grandmother when she was sending my dad “in piassa” (to the square) (when it says “in piassa” or “alle piasse” generic for the Paduans it refers to the squares of the market, principally square of the grasses, of the fruit and of the Gentlemen and for extension also the market Under the Hall) and I remember the names of several shopkeepers because when it was being said of these shops rarely it was speaking of “beccaro” (butcher), casolin, cheeses seller, etc. etc. but it was said of “Millio”, Nello, Borsetto, of people with who was established a trust report and it is still so.

Always along the central passage of connection of the squares of the Grasses and of the Fruit is the staircase to go down in the basements of the Palace of the Reason. If you find it open (at the moment there isn’t a pre-established opening schedule) go down and thanks to the archaeologists of the association Arcadia you will be able to see traces of the ancient Patavium, the Roman Padova.

From 1985 the shops of Under the Hall are associated and “The Hall Commercial Centre” is a real brand, a Web site exists and under this mark several initiatives are organised to boost the commerce and to support the shopkeepers, in difficulty for the unrestrained competition of the great distribution in the commercial centres of the suburbs. The shops are over 50 between shops of foodstuffs, gastronomy, bar and wine cellars, butcher’s shops, poulterer’s shops and of equine meat, delicatessen products, sale of cheeses, fish shops, shops of fruit and vegetables etc. etc. and the historical shops are still different in activity.

The quality of the products sold here is decidedly high, the historical centre still loses residents and the one who lives in suburbs sometimes prefers the comfort of a hypermarket close to house. Perhaps, moreover to sell products to lead to house the shops Under The Hall they might propose walk tastings and the Hall might put itself as a place of the street food and work also with the tourists. However, I imagine that the licence of artisan, shop keeper doesn’t foresee also the administration…

Waiting for possible changes if turning between these shops there will come to you hunger, the wine cellar Tirabouchon, for example it is always a good idea for a shadow (“ombra” in italian) (glass of wine) and “spuncio” (our “tapas”).

The circle continues between the stalls of other markets of the squares of Padova, the market of Square of the Grasses, the market of Square of the Fruit and that of Square of the Gentlemen, these last markets generally of clothes.

Text by Alberto Botton

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