Which Renaissance piece combines seating and storage?

• A. Cassapanca
• B. Cassone
• C. Sgabello
• D. Credenza

Answer: (A)

This item is about multi-functional furniture from the Renaissance, where designers combined seating with built‑in storage to save space and add practicality in the domestic room. The best example is the cassapanca, a long, upholstered bench with a hollow seating area that doubles as a storage chest. The seat often lifts or the base opens to reveal a cavity for linens, wedding dowries, or valuables, making it both a place to sit and a place to store. Its design—long bench form, high back, and a concealed cavity—embodies the era’s interest in comfort, elegance, and efficient use of space in interiors, especially in Italian homes of the 15th–16th centuries.

A cassone is a separate storage chest used as a wedding dowry piece, not meant for seating. A sgabello is a simple stool, typically with a three-legged form and little to no storage. A credenza is a cabinet or sideboard used for storage and display, but it does not function as seating. So the cassapanca uniquely combines both functions in one piece.