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The Merchants’ Lodge in Sermoneta: the Commercial Heart of the Caetani Village
In 1446 Onorato III Caetani had the Loggia dei Mercanti built in what would become the nerve centre of Sermoneta. Its function was threefold: seat of the municipality, place of commercial exchange, space for popular assemblies. The village in the Lepini Mountains was prospering, and the Loggia became its symbol.
15th-Century Arcades, a Gothic Portal
The structure is a mixture of two architectural styles. The wide round arches follow the canon of the 15th century, whereas the lateral entrance portal, with its pointed arch, retains a Gothic imprint. Beneath the arcades were stalls opened for animals to be sold or bartered; the surrounding storerooms housed workshops. Today, plasterwork has covered the original stone. This restoration has taken something away from the medieval rawness, but not the charm of the place.
From Market Square to Film Set
The Loggia looks onto Piazza del Comune, a short distance from Porta Annibaldi and Torre Valeria, which mark the entrance to the oldest part of the town. It still functions today as a gathering place, for civil weddings, events, and the daily life of the village. Sermoneta is the "Cinecittà of the Lepini Mountains" — there have been over ninety film productions here since 1909 — and the Loggia has served as the backdrop for more than one scene.
