Balcony

A balcony (from Italian: balcone, scaffold) is a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade, usually above the ground floor.
The traditional Maltese balcony is a wooden closed balcony projecting from a wall.
By contrast, a 'Juliet balcony' does not protrude out of the building. It is usually part of an upper floor, with a balustrade only at the front. Modern Juliet balconies often involve a metal barrier placed in front of a high window which can be opened.
Sometimes balconies are adapted for ceremonial purposes, e.g. that of St. Peter's Basilica at Rome, when the newly elected pope gives his blessing after the conclave. Inside churches, balconies are sometimes provided for the singers, and in banqueting halls for the musicians.
Manufacturers names for their balcony designs often refer to the origin of the design, i.e. Italian balcony, Spanish balcony, Mexican balcony, etc. They also refer to the shape and form of the pickets used for the balcony railings, e.g. knuckle balcony, goose balcony, pot belly balcony.
[Wikipedia]