What San Lorenzo street market hides

What San Lorenzo street market hides

PHOTOS & SPANISH VERSION BELOW

Starting from Via dell’Ariento, in front of the Cappelle Medicee and its surrounding streets, this walk is flooded with characteristic white canopies around the Central Market of San Lorenzo and its peculiar «wall» of street stalls. As a resident, I am used to this area of town and its typical noise of shopkeepers dragging their mobile stores in the early morning and at night. I sure love it. Walking on the sidewalks not only helps to avoid the crowds of the main street, but also helps to discover some alternative treasures (bars, cafés, restaurants, trattorie, shops … not excessively crowded such as Bondi or Casa del Vino) that are hidden among the usual stalls, where they generally sell the same items, every two or three steps.

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Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio, the other popular market of Florence

Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio, the other popular market of Florence

PHOTOS & SPANISH VERSION BELOW

In comparison to the bigger central market of San Lorenzo, its twin in the city, the smaller Sant’ Ambrogio, is even better. It caters in a local, neighbourhood style, resulting as more authentic. It has an area partly open, where clothes, fruits, vegetables and groceries are sold outside; inside, there´re grocery, meat, fish, fruits, vegetables and mini restaurants. Opposite the market was the old monastery of Santa Verdiana, once used as a female prison, and now stands the Faculty of Architecture. Located in piazza Ghiberti and projected in 1873 by Giuseppe Mengoni, the original urban plans included — after the destruction of the old market — the creation of three modern outlets in the historical centre: the central market of San Lorenzo, the market of Sant ‘Ambrogio and a market which was never built, the San Frediano market. Open from Monday to Saturday from 7 a. m. to 2 p. m.
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