Mercato Centrale: Florence's Central Market

We found the Central Market in Florence, after aimlessly wandering around the city. The Central Market is open Monday through Saturday.

Inside the market, it is compromised of two levels. On the ground floor, you will find vendors dedicated to the primary ingredients of Tuscan cuisine. Butchers can be found, alongside cheeses, cured meats, wines, and other grocery goods. A seafood area can be found, with various vendors selling fish and shellfish of all kinds - some of which are wild-caught in Italy, and others imported from around the world.

On the second floor, there is a speciality food court—one of the best culinary attractions in Florence. It offers 3,000 square metres of space, 500 seats, and can hold up to twelve stalls dedicated to different Italian culinary specialities. This includes baked goods, cheese, Chianti wine, chocolate, meat, pizza, and pasta.

There is also the opportunity to observe the production process for numerous food items, such as bread making, the creation of artisan gelato, and handcrafting buffalo cheese.

Mercato Centrale made its debut in Florence on the first floor of the famous San Lorenzo market, one of the city's most iconic locations. It opened in the spring of 2014 to commemorate the 140th anniversary of the iron and glass architecture, which was built in 1874. Giuseppe Mengoni, the man behind Florence's Sant'Ambrogio market and Milan's Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, designed it.

The Truffles

After wandering around the market, we happened to find a very busy store. There were many people queuing up for this food. This was Luciano Savini's truffle shop.

Luciano Savini's shop is located upstairs in the Mercato Centrale, and can be found by fragrance. Aside from traditional truffle dishes, there are many fragrant and savoury combinations, such as ones inspired by Roman heritage, like carbonara. There are also many goods to choose from to take home.

Over time, Montanelli, where the Savini company is based, has become famous for its truffle enthusiasts. The history of the Savini company began in the 1920s. This was when Luciano inherited his enthusiasm for truffles and an aptitude for finding them from his father, Zelindo. Zelindo discovered his passion when walking through woods led him to find truffles. He was the one who taught his family how to conduct research and how to collect the truffles.

This should surely be on your list of things to do in Florence. If you need more shopping, there are stalls outside the building on the adjacent streets selling scarves, leather products, and souvenirs—all the traditional Florentine goods.