Thing to do
Piazzale Michelangelo
The 1869 hilltop terrace above San Niccolò with a bronze David and the classic panorama of the Duomo, the Arno bridges and the Palazzo Vecchio.
Mercato Centrale
Mengoni's 1874 iron and glass market in San Lorenzo, with traditional butchers and grocers downstairs and a food hall of artisan counters upstairs.
At a glance
- Type
- Food market and food hall
- Area
- San Lorenzo, Florence, Italy
- Official site
- mercatocentrale.com
Good to know
- Food hall
- Traditional market stalls
- Seating
- Open evenings
Why we recommend it
The Mercato Centrale is Florence's main covered market, a large iron and glass hall in the San Lorenzo district built between 1870 and 1874 to designs by Giuseppe Mengoni, the architect of Milan's Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Inspired by Les Halles in Paris, it was part of the city's 19th-century modernisation and opened in 1874 with an international agricultural exhibition. Today it works on two levels that feel almost like different places.
The ground floor is the traditional market, with stalls grouped by trade: butchers and tripe sellers, poultry and salumi counters, bakers, cheese sellers and fishmongers, along with stands for olive oil, wine, dried porcini and other Tuscan produce that travels well in a suitcase. This is where locals still shop, and it is at its liveliest in the morning. Da Nerbone, the long-running lampredotto and boiled beef counter, is on this floor and draws queues at lunchtime.
The first floor was reopened in 2014 as a food hall of more than twenty artisan counters across about 3,000 square metres. Here you can eat fresh pasta, pizza, Tuscan meats and cheeses, fried snacks, vegetarian dishes, gelato and pastries, with wine and beer from the bars, at shared tables under the restored iron roof. It stays open into the evening and is a practical choice for groups who all want something different, for families, and for solo travellers who want a quick meal without a reservation.
It is busy at lunch and early evening, so come a little earlier or later for a table. Prices upstairs are higher than at a neighbourhood trattoria but reasonable for the centre. The streets around the building fill with the stalls of the outdoor San Lorenzo market, which now sells mainly leather goods, clothing and souvenirs; quality varies, so take your time before buying.
The market lies between Via dell'Ariento, Via Sant'Antonino and Via Panicale, about five minutes' walk from Santa Maria Novella station and the Medici Chapels, and around ten minutes from the Duomo. Allow an hour to browse and longer if you are eating. If you are buying produce to take home, bring a bag and check your airline's rules on liquids for oil and wine.
Mercato Centrale FAQs
When was the Mercato Centrale built?
Between 1870 and 1874, to designs by Giuseppe Mengoni.
What is on each floor?
The ground floor is the traditional food market; the first floor is a food hall with more than twenty counters and shared seating, opened in 2014.
Is it open in the evening?
The upstairs food hall stays open into the evening; the traditional ground-floor stalls are best visited in the morning.
Is it good for groups and families?
Yes, everyone can choose from different counters and eat together at shared tables.
Where can I try lampredotto?
At Da Nerbone on the ground floor, a long-established counter serving lampredotto and boiled beef sandwiches.
Is the outdoor market the same thing?
No. The street stalls around the building are the San Lorenzo market, selling mainly leather goods, clothing and souvenirs.
How do I get there?
It is about five minutes' walk from Santa Maria Novella station and around ten minutes from the Duomo.