A quick tour of the Central Market in Florence (Mercato Centrale di Firenze)

While I was visiting my friend Gio near Rome, we were discussing all the cities I’ve visited during my time in 15 of the 20 regions of Italy. When I mentioned Florence (Firenze), Gio told me he’d never been. I told him that we had to go, so we booked train tickets that evening and the next morning were on our way to Florence. After a short 1.5 hour train ride from Rome on the comfortable Frecciarossa high-speed train, we enjoyed a few hours in Florence.

This was my fourth time visiting the Florence. However, this time I finally made it to Florence’s Central Market (Mercato Centrale). The downstairs area has numerous vendors selling all kinds of items including gifts, pasta, fruits, vegetables, and meats. On the second floor, there’s a food court with lots of vendors selling all kinds of Italian (and some non-Italian) food.

While it is a bit touristy, I would recommend checking it out. I’d of course also recommend visiting many of the great small restaurants and shops around the city, but if you want a quick bite to eat as you arrive at (or depart) Florence’s Santa Maria Novella train station, it might be worth a visit. It's only a 10 minute walk from the train station.

There’s also a cooking school upstairs, which I did not know. I’ll have to try to take a class there the next time I’m in Florence.

According to the website for the Market, their hours are Sunday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to midnight.

Here’s a link to the website for more information: https://www.mercatocentrale.com

Buon appetito!

By the way, I noticed that I’m moving the camera a bit too fast in this video, which can be a bit uncomfortable when viewing. I’ll now know for the next time I do one of these videos.

#italy #italytravel #florence #firenze