The shopping area in Bologna is undoubtedly the one on the side of the Portico del Pavaglione.
That long walkway under the building houses historical shops (with a wooden frame around the window) and the Archiginnasio, and it's very close to some of the most famous attractions like Piazza Maggiore and the Basilica of San Petronio.
It is a place rich in history; in fact, the historic silkworm market was held there from the middle ages until the early XVIII century. Bologna's silk production made Bologna a vibrant city, and its products were marketed throughout Europe.
The name, Pavaglione, could derive from the French "Pavillon", meaning as you can imagine, a pavilion, which is a temporary construction made as a curtain or cover that was used to create shade under the portico to prevent the silkworms from receiving direct sunlight.
The portico of the Pavaglione, which extends over the square down to the Palazzo dei Banchi, was built in 1563 on the initiative of Pope Pius IV on a project by the architect Antonio Morandi (also called Terribilia) together with the Archiginnasio, the first unified seat of the University of Bologna.
The Loggia, which runs alongside the basilica of San Petronio and reaches Piazza Galvani, extends over 15 Corinthian lese spans, with two vaults that allow access to the back streets of the medieval market and is recognised as one of the most interesting Renaissance Bolognese arcades.