This institute has its seat in a Baroque palace which was given its present facade in the mid-18th century. It was formerly the seat of the "Landhaus" (Provincial Diets) and also served as a stage for visiting Italian theatres. The square which opens in front of the building was formally the heartland of the Ljubljana aristocracy. It is surrounded by the town houses of the most prominent aristocratic families of former Carniola. All the buildings in the square have preserved Baroque exteriors. To the east, the square adjoins the banks of the Ljubljanica and Jurčič Square. On the eastern side of Jurčič Square is "čevljarski most (Cobbler's Bridge) which, prior to Plečnik's intervention, competed with the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, even in being roofed and lined with artisan workshops, from which it got its name. The main city gates used to be on the old town side and before 1484, in a gallery built above the street which lead from the castle side to the bridge, also the seat of the city authorities. The skeletons which, according to popular tradition, were found when the old walls were demolished suggest that the city courts were also contained in that building.