loggias

A loggia is a covered exterior gallery or corridor that is part of a building, open to the outside along one or more sides and typically integrated into the main structure. It is usually supported by a row of arches or columns and capped by a shallow roof. Unlike a veranda or a balcony, a loggia forms part of the building’s exterior wall and is accessible from interior rooms, serving as a sheltered outdoor space at street level or on an upper floor.

Traditionally found in Italian Renaissance and Baroque architecture, loggias are common on palaces, civic buildings, and churches. They function as ceremonial or social spaces, provide ventilation and light, and help connect interiors to courtyards or plazas. Construction often features stone or stucco façades with arcades, or a colonnaded arcade along a courtyard.

Regional variation exists: in Italian towns the loggia may run along a façade or wrap around a corner; in Northern Europe and the Americas the term is used for similar arcaded galleries. Notable examples include the Loggia dei Lanzi in Florence, and many palazzi with long arcaded galleries that provide sheltered promenades.

In modern architecture, the concept persists as sheltered exterior spaces that blur indoor–outdoor boundaries, sometimes realized as freestanding or attached arcades with contemporary materials. The term loggia remains a descriptive label for these open, roofed gallery spaces connected to a building.