The Barrel Door

In calle dell ‘arco 456 a truly unusual thing to see is the barrel door. Yes, just a door. A door with an unusual shape with an enlarged base to allow the passage of the wooden barrels that were rolled inside the cellar.

The production of wine in Venice was very important, also because the drinking water that was filtered by the real well in the squares was not always drinkable. The wine gave more guarantees in terms of hygiene. Barrels that entered and left, full and empty, in a strategic position, the boats loaded with wine arrived, Rialto was the wine commercial area in Venice.

The builders of barrels were gathered in a brotherhood called the Boteri, and this building was owned by the Brotherhood of Boteri, where the wine barrels were built.

Curiosity : they were obliged to repair barrels for the doge free of charge.