In Italy, any urban building built as a grand residence is a "palazzo"; these are often no larger than a Victorian townhouse. It was not necessary to be a nobleman for one's house to be considered a "palazzo"; the hundreds of "palazzi" in Venice nearly all belonged to the patrician class of the city. In the Middle Ages these also functioned as warehouses and places of business, as well as homes. Each family's "palazzo" was a hive that contained all the family members, though it might not always show a grand architectural public front. In the 20th century, "palazzo" in Italian came to apply by extension to any large fine apartment building, as many old "palazzi" were converted to this use.