Ask An Italian: Open Air Markets

Every week, Francesco Serra, our good friend and expert on all things Italian, gives us perspective on Italian culture. Residing in the northern city of Padova, but being a fiercely proud native Calabrian, he brings a unique perspective on all things Italian.

Image: antanask.

Our question today for Francesco....I've heard that Padova has one of the best open air markets in Italy. How often do you shop there? What do you buy? Guidebooks like to portray Italians as shopping for fresh food at the market every day, but is this reality? What are your suggestions for a tourist who wants to try shopping at a real Italian market?

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The place where you can find the open air market in Padova is called Prato della Valle, which is one of the largest squares in Europe. That's why the market here is one of the best :)
Here in Padova, we typically go to the mercato di Prato della Valle at the very least, a few times per month. The market is open every Saturday and sells almost anything from food to antiques...from shoes to fish. There's literaly everything!
If the market was open everyday, you would probably find people doing real shopping there, but that's not that case. So, unfortunately there's no reality in the pages of your guidebooks...
My best suggestion is to go spend some time there and explore, allowing yourself to be attracted to what inspires you. You'll never know what you'll discover, perhaps even some old valuable stamps hidden between the pages of a book, as happened to me! ;-)

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Francesco