The Central Market of Firenze exists since 1874, when Florence commissioned the architect Mengoni - the same as the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milan - to erect it in an area near the church of San Lorenzo. The market is literally "surrounded" by the stalls of clothes and souvenirs of the most famous market of San Lorenzo. The Central Market is the big one iron and masonry structure that from the moment of opening it became the space for the fruit, vegetable, meat, fish and legume vendors of the city. My grandmother, for example, went shopping here every day in search of freshness and quality.
Over the years the market has partially kept its shops, but people have developed different shopping habits, in addition to the fact that everyone has less time than my grandmother to devote to cooking. So if the ground floor had always maintained the presence of food merchants, the first floor had fallen into a state of neglect and inactivity; in a short time it was transformed into a brand new city space dedicated to quality food and artisans of taste. From today the Central Market ha changed face, enriching the city with a new space of "beauty and goodness" for Florence.
The original space has been kept in his beauty of the late nineteenth century, defined above all by the huge bright space, but the reinterpretation of modern design can be seen, in the new setting neutral tones and natural materials such as wood and wicker predominate. For example, the huge wicker lampshades that hang from the ceiling are surprising, light and powerful at the same time.
Twelve selected shops sell and let you taste quality food products, with attention to origin and preparation, coming from Tuscany but also from other regions of Italy. The shops are open, the preparations at sight; in the large central space there are tables where you can taste the delicious food just purchased on the spot.
But what makes the market so interesting? THE selected sellers have signed a specification, in which they undertake to tell their story passion for food, for how they select it, for how they prepare it. For the tourist a real "experience" not only sensorial, but of knowledge, of immersion in the Italian tradition. The idea that the Market has embraced is that not only art and landscape are an Italian heritage, but also the taste for good food.
At this point you will want to know what you can buy / taste here: meanwhile, cheese, of all kinds, then artisanal ice cream, bread with croissants, pizza and artisanal focaccia; “artist” chocolate pralines, buffalo mozzarella, pork, fresh artisan pasta, fish, Chianti Classico and other label wines, fruit and vegetables. Snacks at any time, lampredotto sandwich, organic sandwiches, fried to take away. The Market is also equipped with a restaurant, a café-bar, there is a space for every moment of hunger.
The space of the Lorenzo de 'Medici cooking school, the bookshop, the bank counter and other corner shops. The market, as mentioned, was inaugurated on 23 April 2014 and will then be open every day from 10 to midnight. Entrances from via dell'Ariento and from the market square.
www.mercatocentrale.it is the market site, but you can also find it on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ilmercatocentrale
