Medieval Roman homes often had a storefront at street level, just as this home does today. Back in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, these spaces would have been cramped, spilling out into the street in a search for space. The interior of the shop would have featured hanging space for tools and shelves for storage (or a sleepy apprentice looking for a makeshift bed), while cupboards were uncommon. Due to tight quarters indoors, there was much more of an expulsion of people and things out into the streets than we see today. Picture Romans, desperate for more space and natural light, chatting to neighbors leaning out of upper story windows, or relaxing after a long day of shopping on benches propped up next to houses. In fact, external walls were used quite extensively. As a space-saving measure, homeowners eschewed interior blinds for awnings that projected out into the streets. Laundry would be strung up to dry outside; that practice is still common today in some parts of Italy, though perhaps hanging bird cages and assorted household items on hooks, chains, and poles along facades is less so. This practice demonstrates a blurring of the lines between private homes and the public sphere.