The Via Argentieri alley corresponds to the former southern moat along the town walls and runs parallel to the Arcades: It connects the Piazza delle Erbe square with the Piazza del Grano square.

It is a typical Bolzano alley, which does not owe its name - like many others - to a medieval guild, but to a house: the “Silberhaus” (Silver House) at the corner between the Piazza del Grano and Via Argentieri. How the house got its name, however, is not documented. Workshops of silver and goldsmiths, on the other hand, could be found in the immediate vicinity: at the Piazza delle Erbe square and in the Via dei Calzolai (today’s Via Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe road).

Today, the lively Via Argentieri can tell the visitor a lot about the former Bolzano architecture: The typical houses are among the oldest in the town, with overlapping roofs and stairs. In between, the only Renaissance building in the main town of South Tyrol stands out: the Mercantile Palace. This 18th century palace now houses the Mercantile Museum, which tells of Bolzano as an important commercial centre between North and South. The Carambolage cabaret and impro theatre is also located in the Via Argentieri (Silbergasse, in German).