The Piazza Mercanti was Milan’s financial centre during the Middle Ages, being a place where tradesmen, craftsmen and shopkeepers gathered. The main city trades gave name to the six gates as well as nearby streets surrounding the district: Armorari (arms makers), Spadari (sword makers), Cappellari (hatters), and Orefici (goldsmiths). This square also housed the city’s judicial proceedings and held the seat of civil and criminal cases. A public well, which had been removed in 1583, was put back in the centre of the square in 1921.
