Historically, this has been the site of the fish market and, like the other markets in the area - fruit and vegetables of the "erbaria", meat in the "beccarie" -, it overlooks the Grand Canal, making it easy to procure and sell goods.
During the age of the Republic, a merchant had to be from Venice, Poveglia, or S. Nicolo, be 50 years or older and be a fisherman for at least 20 years to sell fish at the Rialto market.
For centuries, Rialto was both the economic and financial centre of the Republic, a real “City”, and a large market for all sorts of products where noblemen mixed with the commoners,Venetians with foreigners.