Mercato Centrale in Florence
A historic place that houses the tastiest part of the city
The Mercato Centrale is located in Florence's historic San Lorenzo neighborhood.
The square that houses it has not always been as we see it today, but is the result of an urban reorganization that took place in 1866, in view of Florence as the Capital of Italy. The construction of the New Central Market thus came at the forefront of a series of initiatives aimed at building renewal.
Architect Mengoni's design was inspired by the Parisian Halles made of iron and glass: the affinity with the transalpine style is also evident in the modular sales spaces inside the building and in the iron load-bearing skeleton, although the ashlar base with arcades - a tradition of Florentine palaces - makes the building perfectly integrated with the city.x
Today the Mercato Centrale continues to be a reference point for food, wine and typical products: open every day until 3 p.m. - on Saturdays until 5 p.m. - it offers meat of the finest cuts, fresh bread and pastries, selected fish, prime fruit and vegetables, and local and international products.
Strolling inside the market and getting lost following the scents of the stalls that populate it is an experience that you cannot miss.
You can taste the various products and buy them or eat at one of the many stalls offering tripe, lampredotto (peasant dish made with the stomach of a cow), cold cuts and typical Tuscan dishes. It is the ideal place for zero-mile shopping.
Since 2014, the second floor of the historic covered market has been renovated: to celebrate 140 years of the iron-and-glass architecture, a space with more than 20 stores, a cooking school and a calendar full of events including workshops, music, art and the good craft of artisans was created.
Bread and pastries, fresh, fried, vegetarian and vegan fish, meat and cured meats, buffalo mozzarella, cheeses, chocolate and ice cream, fresh pasta, wine bar, lampredotto, truffles: in all the workshops it is possible to both buy and taste the various specialties on the spot.
