Italy Panorama

The weekly market is an event in Italy

Il Mercato

Laughter and lively chatter fill the air, punctuated by the occasional shout from a vendor hawking his goods in a loud, sing-song voice trying to draw attention and buyers. The scent of roasting porchetta wafts and tempts and a line quickly forms at the mobile display truck to procure some of the freshly-cooked meat. Groups mingle and an impromptu parade proceeds among the booths, producing a carnival midway-like atmosphere.

Fresh fruits and vegetables from all over Italy

This is the weekly scene played out in towns large and small across Italia. It is mercato day and it is as much a social event as a shopping experience. A hold-over from a time when isolated villages needed to have goods brought to them from more distant producers, the mercatini still roll into town and set up their mobile storefronts to make available a wide range of goods. Here you’ll find everything from cutlery to cabbage, from sweaters to sweets, from bread to beads, and much, much more.

Buy direct from the grower

It is an opportunity for residents to procure products but also to mingle, gossip and laugh. For the traveler, it offers the chance to participate in and to observe the lively interactions, while obtaining fresh produce for dinner. It is an occasion where you can become a part of the local scene. Join in the parade, taste the foods on offer, and absorb the spirited atmosphere of a mercato during your stay. The memory of participating is as nice as any souvenir you may find while you’re there.