If you love authenticity, Livorno will take you far beyond the classic concept of shopping. Every purchase is a memory, every step is a dialogue with the city, every corner is a fragment of history. Whether in the popular chatter of the historical markets or in the more whispered elegance of the boutiques along the city center streets, the genuine and frank hospitality of the people of Livorno awaits you to offer a unique and fulfilling shopping experience.
If you want to immerse yourself in the mood of Livorno, the market area between Piazza Cavallotti and Via Buontalenti is what you’re looking for. Here, the concept of a shop is still alive in its highest sense, offering a mosaic of flavors, colors, and scents typical of the old bazaars. Amidst the shouts of the merchants and goods displayed in plain sight to capture your attention, you will be seduced by the atmosphere and the locals who, regardless of the fact that you’re tourists, will talk to you as if you were a neighbor.
Here, along the Fosso Reale, stands one of Livorno’s architectural gems: the Mercato delle Vettovaglie. Also known as the Central Market or Covered Market, it was built in the late 19th century based on a design by architect Angiolo Badaloni. He designed the beautiful structure inspired by the Parisian market of Les Halles, with large arched windows, floral trusses in iron, and beautiful Art Nouveau cariatides. Within all this refinement, you will discover a true temple of food and wine where you can experience a sensory feast, with stalls offering local fish, specialties, fruits and vegetables of all kinds, meats, selected cheeses and cured meats, legumes, seeds and rare spices.
If you’re still not satisfied with your shopping, outside the Mercato delle Vettovaglie, you can literally dive into the clothing and footwear stalls lining Via Buontalenti. Here, the soul of the bazaar is still that of the past, and if you’re ready and observant, it’s not unlikely that you could make some good deals. But that’s not all, just by turning a corner, you will be greeted by another open-air market that is quintessentially Livorno: the one in Piazza Cavallotti. A green and fragrant embrace of fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, dried fruits, pickled olives, and seasonal specialties, carefully selected every day by the street vendors who will compete with each other through taunts and vocal calls to attract you to their stands.
Just over a kilometer away, along Via della Cinta Esterna, behind the Venezia neighborhood, you will find another unique Livorno feature: the American flea market. Born in the post-war period as a hub for cigarette smuggling, over time it became the reference point for those looking for original American imported products. Today, although the offering of stars and stripes has diminished, the market still offers a wide range of sportswear, perfumes, military or camping-style merchandise, as well as various types of jeanswear.
If you are looking for a less experiential but still quality shopping experience, there are two Livorno streets you shouldn’t miss out on: via Grande and via Ricasoli.
Mostly illuminated by the signs of big chain stores, between the monument of the 4 Moors and Piazza della Repubblica, via Grande will offer you, in just over 800 meters, clothing and footwear items for all tastes, uses, and styles. If you are looking for something more refined, just a short distance from the historical center, we recommend reaching the area of via Ricasoli: a street lined with the city’s most chic boutiques. An invitation to travel in the most fashionable elegance and luxury of the latest trends, but always with that sparkling and genuine touch typical of the people of Livorno.
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