A porched area dedicated to commercial activities in Finalmarina

A typical example of a porched area dedicated to commercial activities is that of the vaulted porch placed underneath the façades of the prestigious residences that are the background of todays Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II in Finalmarina. The vaults are held by strong Finale stone square or hexagonal pillars; the blocks of Finale stone come from the quarries of the Val Sciusa valley.

This long loggia, that can be dated between the 16^th and 17^th century, with later restorations, is an important part of the Platea Magna that opens onto the sea and is mentioned with this name already in 1450. The loggia already existed in its current form in the 17^th century, when it appeared in the view of Finale from the sea painted in 1629 by Ferdinando Glazer in the altarpiece with San Nicola da Mira and Sant’Erasmo destined to the chapel of the company of ship patrons in the church of Sant’Antonio alla Marina, currently exhibited in the church of San Giovanni Battista in Finalmarina.