Guide to Florence’s Weekly Markets
The city of Florence, Italy is known for its historical ties and traditional cooking. As a study abroad student, a great way to immerse into this culture is by wandering through Florence’s weekly markets. Ranging from produce to vintage clothing, each one has a unique atmosphere and great shopping!
Enjoy this guide!
Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio
Location: Piazza Lorenzo Ghiberti, 50122 Firenze
Open: 7:00 AM – 2:00 PM daily, except Sunday
The San Ambrosio Market is considered the oldest market in Florence, dating back to 1873. Here, you can find fresh fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and meats from local farms in the area. It’s a great place to grab a few items to make a charcuterie board or for a nice dinner with your roommates!
Mercato di Santo Spirito
Location: Piazza Santo Spirito, 50125 Firenze
Open: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM, second Sunday of every month (except July & August)
The Santo Spirito Vintage Market comes alive the second Sunday of every month. Vendors come together to sell handcrafted jewelry, art, vintage clothing, antiques, candy and more. This market is perfect for thrifting vintage clothing at cheap prices or buying unique souvenirs to bring back to family back home. This Piazza also has a daily market that offers household items and fresh produce.
This area of town also has some great restaurants including ___ to get post-shopping!
Mercato delle Cascine
Location: Parco delle Cascine along Viale Lincoln
Open: 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM (Winter); 7:00 AM – 2:00 PM (Summer)
On every Tuesday, this market is open and bustling with people looking for clothing, accessories, fruits, and other items. While this market is a bit of a further walk from Central Florence (roughly 50 min.) it’s a cool place to find second-hand or new clothes, household items, and jewelry! Local vendors have stands with clothing from €3 to stands with create-your-own charm bracelets.
Mercato Centrale Firenze
Location: Piazza del Mercato Centrale, Via dell’Ariento, 50123 Firenze Open: 7:00 AM – 2:00 PM, Monday to Saturday
The Florence Central Market, located right next to the Florence Leather Markets, consists of two floors. The first floor features vendors selling food products like cheeses, meats, fish, fresh produce, bread, and wine. It’s a great spot to try some local dishes and enjoy aperitivo. On the second-floor, there are multiple restaurants with traditional Tuscan dishes at low prices as well as some wine bars.
San Lorenzo Leather Market
Location: Adjacent to Mercato Centrale, near Piazza del Mercato Centrale Open: 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Monday through Saturday
This outdoor market offers a range of leather products such as purses, jackets, keychains, belts, and more. One thing to keep in mind is that the vendors will try to upsell products, so try to bargain with the vendors to lower the prices. Additionally, make sure that what you are buying says “Made in Italy” if you want a more authentic piece of Florentine leather.
For all of Florence’s weekly markets, make sure to have some Euros on you. Some vendors only accept cash and the ATMs nearby typically have larger conversion rate fees so it’s best to just keep some cash handy.
