the martines family lived in rooms in a large building on the , "a stately building still standing in the kohlmarkt." as was common in the days before elevators, the floors of the building corresponded to the social class of the inhabitants. on the lowest floor were the rooms of the dowager princess of the wealthy esterházy family. the martines family were on third floor. another resident of the middle floors was nicola porpora, a well-known italian singing teacher and composer. at the very top, in a cold and leaky attic room, lived a struggling young composer, joseph haydn, who was trying to make his way as a freelance musician. the lives of all of these people ultimately came to be connected, in part through marianna martines.