(Palazzo della Chiglia Comune)
The Architecture: The building is designed to resemble the skeletal rib-cage of a massive ship, but inverted. The "ribs" form the columns of the main hall.
The Hall of the Salt Code: The main interior is a vast, echoing chamber where lawyers from the Faculty of the Anchor argue over shipping lanes and tariff disputes. The walls are not painted with frescos of saints, but engraved with the text of the Lex Maritima (Maritime Law) in gold leaf.
The Bench of the Broken Oar: In the center of the room is a lower, sunken pit. This is where bankrupt merchants sit during their hearings for "Civil Drowning." They must sit lower than the floor level to symbolize their lack of standing.
Function: This is the engine of the city. While the Potentate handles heresy and war in the Chamber of Stella Maris, the Palace of the Common Keel handles:
Contract Disputes: If a shipment of silk arrives wet, this is where you argue who pays.
The Veto Hearings: If the inland Rectors try to pass a tax on fish, the Guilds come here to petition the Captain to use his Veto.
The "Wet Ledger": The official registry of all debts in the city.