Pescheria- Visual Arts Center
Pescheria- Visual Arts Center
Instructions for the sale of fish can be traced as far back as the ancient Pesaro Statutes from the 14th to 17th centuries. At the beginning of the 19th century the Municipal Administration of Pesaro felt the necessity to construct a building destined to trade a relevant product for the local economy.
The construction project of Pescheria was approved by the City Council on 16th November 1820 and entrusted the project to the engineer Pompeo Mancini, also author of the Orti Giuli.
The construction was carried out during the triennium 1821-23. The front onto Corso XI Settembre is next to the 17th-century Chiesa del Suffragio, now scarcely recognizable in the facade mutilated by demolitions.
The one large room that makes up the interior has preserved its wooden roof trusses and the shell-shaped stone fountain in the back wall. Since 1988, two Istrian marble fountains – restored in their missing parts- have returned to adorn the sides of the main entrance.
In its general layout, the 19th-century building has remained intact in its sober elegance:It was created taking inspiration from the ancient pagan temples, it presents its structural elements, including the massive columns.
Having ceased its original function, it has been converted into an exhibition space. Since 1996 Pescheria has been home to the Visual Arts Center, a municipal institution whose purpose is to promote contemporary art and design exhibitions.
