If you find yourself with plenty of time to spare and a burning desire to find all sorts of fresh products, look no farther than Mercato Trionfale. Located at Via Andrea Doria 3, the market is filled with rows upon rows of stalls offering everything from cheese to fabrics to soaps. It is quite easy to get lost, so don't plan to visit on a day that you're in a rush!
Walking into this market is like walking onto a movie set. It is an absolutely beautiful sight to see, with all of the stalls so filled with color and life. Though it was not in the open air, the warehouse it was housed in had so many entrances and such high ceilings it almost felt like it could have been. Depending on what section you are standing in, it also smells of the offerings of the vendors. This can be incredibly pleasant, in a section like the fruit section, or maybe slightly unpleasant if you're standing in the fish section, but it certainly adds to the feeling that everything is very fresh. One can close their eyes and know exactly what is being sold around them, which is a much different feeling than one may get at a standard grocery store in Rome.
Though the market was relatively busy when I visited, everyone was kind and took their time to help me understand what they were selling. This is definitely different than the grocery stores in Rome that I have visited, in which the sales clerks seem to get frustrated if I so much as throw a glance their way. However, at the market, the sellers seem so proud of their products they want to tell you about them and help you decide. They offer free samples and recipe ideas, which is not only helpful but also just very kind. It makes you feel a little less like a foreigner and a little more like you belong there.
My visit to Mercato Trionfale was not a brief one--I spent nearly two hours wandering between the stalls, comparing fruits of different vendors, tasting cheeses. It is not a place I would have wanted to rush through. Visiting Mercato Trionfale is not just a trip to get groceries, but an experience in local culture. You can feel the pride of people as they tell you where their food was grown or how they made their cheese, and you can taste the difference in it, too! My experience in this market is one I will not soon forget.
--Skylar Johnson
Walking into this market is like walking onto a movie set. It is an absolutely beautiful sight to see, with all of the stalls so filled with color and life. Though it was not in the open air, the warehouse it was housed in had so many entrances and such high ceilings it almost felt like it could have been. Depending on what section you are standing in, it also smells of the offerings of the vendors. This can be incredibly pleasant, in a section like the fruit section, or maybe slightly unpleasant if you're standing in the fish section, but it certainly adds to the feeling that everything is very fresh. One can close their eyes and know exactly what is being sold around them, which is a much different feeling than one may get at a standard grocery store in Rome.
Though the market was relatively busy when I visited, everyone was kind and took their time to help me understand what they were selling. This is definitely different than the grocery stores in Rome that I have visited, in which the sales clerks seem to get frustrated if I so much as throw a glance their way. However, at the market, the sellers seem so proud of their products they want to tell you about them and help you decide. They offer free samples and recipe ideas, which is not only helpful but also just very kind. It makes you feel a little less like a foreigner and a little more like you belong there.
My visit to Mercato Trionfale was not a brief one--I spent nearly two hours wandering between the stalls, comparing fruits of different vendors, tasting cheeses. It is not a place I would have wanted to rush through. Visiting Mercato Trionfale is not just a trip to get groceries, but an experience in local culture. You can feel the pride of people as they tell you where their food was grown or how they made their cheese, and you can taste the difference in it, too! My experience in this market is one I will not soon forget.
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