Delle Vettovaglie Market

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The Vettovaglie Market

The Livornese temple of taste

One of the largest covered markets in Europe

Among the many experiences that the city of Livorno offers, the Vettovaglie Market is undoubtedly one of the most exciting and engaging. Also known as the Central Market or Covered Market, it has been the true temple of Livornese food and wine for centuries.

It is a real architectural gem that, amidst the continuous chatter of customers and traders, will immerse you in an endless sea of delights. Starting from the marble counters of the Fish Hall, where you can buy the catch of the day at a good price, and then moving on to the ones for fruit and vegetables where small stores selling traditional freshly baked bread, schiacciata (a type of flatbread), and salty rosettes of Jewish tradition are located. Not to mention the colors, scents, and flavors of the grand central aisle where expertly cut meat, exquisite cold cuts and cheeses, pure white eggs from Livornese hens, spices and legumes, specialty food and beverages of all kinds to be consumed on-site will constantly stimulate your taste buds.

… and also of aesthetic taste

If gastronomic temptations were not enough, don’t worry, the Mercato delle Vettovaglie is beauty in every way. Built during the late 1800s based on the design of architect and engineer Angiolo Badaloni, it stands majestically on the Fosso Reale, connected to it by an ancient dock and underground cellars for the storage of goods. Made with the most advanced materials of the time such as iron, cast iron, and glass, following the model of the old Halles in Paris, once it was finished it was one of the largest covered markets in Europe and certainly one of the most beautiful.

A perfect example of architecture that combines Neoclassicism and Art Nouveau, it still preserves intact structural and decorative features of great value: from the large arched windows, to the metal trusses decorated with floral motifs, to the paintings, the lunettes, and the beautiful caryatids created by the sculptor Lorenzo Gori from Livorno, representing the Gabbrigiane. Peasant women and sellers from the past who came from the Gabbro district and the surrounding villages, who every day brought to sell their products (chickens, rabbits, eggs, herbs) walking over 20 kilometers with their baskets on their heads.

In short, it doesn’t matter if you are hungry for food, beauty, or both: the Mercato delle Vettovaglie has something for everyone’s taste.

Useful informations

Who:

Alone, Children and families, Groups, In pairs, With friends
When:

Autumn, Spring, Summer, Winter
What:

Taste
Other characteristics

Free, Indoors, Reachable by public transport, Without reservation