Description: While living in Florence for a year, shopping at markets became part of a normal routine. Finding a market with good variety, good prices, and good people was important. Although a little walk away from the heart of the city center, Mercato di Sant' Ambrogio fit the bill.
Offering a large covered outdoor open stall market where vendors sell seasonal fruits, vegetables, cheeses, spices, breads, and marinated olives on one side and used clothes, houseplants, rugs, kitchen tools, linens, and furniture on the other sides. All these stalls surround the main building, which is an industrial building from the 1860s and offers a smaller, one-story version of the larger Mercato Centrale in the city center.
Inside,shoppers can pick from a variety of meats, cheeses, oils, wines, and warm bread. If it makes you hungry to be around such fresh foods without eating, don't despair. There's a very inexpensive trattoria inside where you can sample authentic Tuscan dishes, or sit at the corner bar for a freshly baked pastry.
The majority of shoppers at this market are locals, and it's small enough that if you visit regularly, you can begin to learn the names of the vendors and create a good rapport. Who knows, maybe if you give them a nice smile, they'll throw in an extra artichoke for you!
Open 7am - 2pm Mon-Sat
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