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The elegant Loggia della Mercanzia, known also as Loggia di San Paolo or Loggia dei Nobili, is typical of Senese architecture in its transition from Medieval to Renaissance – a development that was slower in this city than in the rest of Italy and that is marked by the persistence of Gothic details.
Designed by Sano di Matteo and Pietro del Minella between 1417 and 1428, the Gothic-Renaissance Loggia della Mercanzia is composed of a spacious loggia with three arches supported above richly adorned columns and capitals. In the 17th century tabernacles were placed on the supporting columns to hold 15th century statues by Vecchietta, who sculpted a St Paul in 1458 and a St Peter in 1460, and by Antonio Federighi, who is responsible for San Savino (St Sabinus), Sant'Ansano (St Ansanus of Siena) and the San Vittore (St Victor), all sculpted between 1456 and 1463.
The picture shows the five statues of the Loggia, from the left: St Sabinus, St Peter, St Ansanus, St Victor, and St Paul.
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