The

Loggia In architecture, a loggia ( , usually , ) is a covered exterior gallery or corridor, usually on an upper level, but sometimes on the ground level of a building. The outer wall is open to the elements, usually supported by a series of columns ...

degli Osii is a historical building of

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. It is located in Piazza Mercanti, a central city square of Milan that used to be its centre in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

History

It was built in 1321 by order of

Matteo I Visconti Matteo I Visconti (1250–1322) was the second of the Milanese Visconti family to govern Milan. Matteo was born to Teobaldo Visconti and Anastasia Pirovano. In 1287, Matteo's uncle Ottone Visconti, archbishop and first lord of Milan, nominat ...

, lord of Milan, who wanted a series of porticoes near the Palazzo della Ragione to house the judicial and notary activities of the city. The name derives from that of the Osii family, who held some palaces in the area before its construction. The Loggia was designed by Scoto da San Gimignano. Sentences and edicts were proclaimed by the Milanese judges from the Loggia's balcony (known as ''parlera''), decorated with an eagle holding a prey, symbol of justice.

Description

The edifice has a

Gothic style Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

portico and loggia in the façade; not usual for the Milanese Gothic structures is the white and black marble decoration: this, more common in Genoa at the time, is perhaps a homage to Matteo Visconti's wife, Valentina

Doria Doria or Dória may refer to: People Surname * Doria (family), a prominent Genoese family ** Andrea Doria (1466–1560), Genoese admiral ** Ansaldo Doria, 12th century Genoese statesman and commander ** Brancaleone Doria (died c. 1409?), husband ...

. The two loggias are surmounted by a series of triple

mullioned windows A mullion is a vertical element that forms a division between units of a window or screen, or is used decoratively. It is also often used as a division between double doors. When dividing adjacent window units its primary purpose is a rigid supp ...

, housing statues. These were realized by Ugo da Campione and his son Giovanni, by other masters from

Campione d'Italia Campione d'Italia ( Comasco: , ) is a ''comune'' of the Province of Como in the Lombardy region of Italy and an enclave surrounded by the Swiss canton of Ticino (it is also an exclave). At its closest, the enclave is less than from the rest of ...

and

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...

, in the 14th century.

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Loggia Degli Osii Buildings and structures completed in 1321 Buildings and structures in Milan Loggias in Italy Gothic architecture in Milan