Il Mercato Centrale Firenze, Food marketplace in San Lorenzo district, Florence, Italy
Il Mercato Centrale Firenze is a two-level covered market in the San Lorenzo district that combines food vendors and dining counters. The ground floor hosts sellers of meat, fish, cheese and vegetables, while the upper level offers seating around open kitchens serving hot dishes.
Giuseppe Mengoni designed the building with its iron and glass structure in 1874 during the years when Florence briefly served as the capital of Italy. The upper floor was rebuilt in 2014 and given a new dining area with open cooking stations.
On both floors, cooks prepare dishes in open kitchens while cheese sellers slice regional varieties from the Tuscan countryside and wine merchants present local bottles. Visitors can sit directly at counters and watch fresh ingredients turned into simple meals.
The market opens daily, with ground floor vendors starting in the morning with fresh produce and closing in the afternoon. The upper floor remains open until late evening and offers hot dishes and drinks throughout.
The cast iron and glass structure was designed by the same architect who created the famous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan. Several vendors on the ground floor have been selling goods at the same stall for over three generations within their families.
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