In Piazza delle Erbe, the rib of a whale or ichthyosaur hanging under the arch connecting Palace of Reason to Domus Nova is curious.

It is supposed to be one of the exotic museum pieces that at the time it was used to hang in the apothecary shops. On that street, in fact, there were at least three apothecary shops on the ground floor of the Domus Nova; moreover, the pontesello (the vernacular name of Arco della Costa) was partly owned by the apothecary at the Sirena, while the free part was used to ring the tower bell. The whale rib actually has an often unknown historical origin.

It dates back to the battle of Lepanto and was brought to the city by the citizens to celebrate Verona's contribution in the battle. The choice fell on this object, which was unknown to most but extremely symbolic: whale ribs, in fact, adorned the helms of Turkish ships.