San Lorenzo Market (Mercato di San Lorenzo)
Florence’s central San Lorenzo Market includes two separate markets. One is the Central Market (Mercato Centrale), an indoor food market with a trendy upstairs gourmet food market and stalls selling everything from seasonal produce to Chianti wine and Tuscany's famed olive oil on the ground floor. The other is an outdoor souvenir market that has as many trinkets and affordable souvenirs as leather goods and other Florentine crafts for which the region is known.
The Basics
While travelers can visit independently, many Florence cooking courses and food tours also begin with a walk through the Central Market so visitors can learn about Italian food markets and select ingredients to use during the lesson. A stroll through the outdoor San Lorenzo Market is always fun, and exploring the market with a small-group walking tour of Florence can help you get to know it like a local. Many sightseeing tours include the market along with some of the most famous sights in the city such as the Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore), Santa Croce, Ponte Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria, and the Uffizi Gallery.
Things to Know Before You Go
At the Central Market’s upstairs food court, excellent local cuisine is served nonstop from late morning to midnight.
Many of the stalls in the street market are operated by nearby shops, so if you're looking for a different size or style, you may be led from the stall to the shop.
Bring your haggling skills to the souvenir market, known for its hard bargaining and upselling.
As in any public place, be aware of yourself and surroundings while in the outdoor market, as pickpocketing can happen.
How to Get to There
The San Lorenzo Market and Mercato Centrale are located in Florence's city center, just a short walk from the Santa Maria Novella train station.
Trip ideas
When to Get There
Both markets are open year-round, but the outdoor market shuts down in inclement weather. Spring and fall are the best seasons to explore the food market, and summer is best to wander through the souvenir market.
Tuscan Wine at the San Lorenzo Market
If you've discovered a label you particularly like during a wine tour or wine tasting in Florence, stop in the Central Market and visit the well-stocked wine shop upstairs.
- Things to do in Tuscany
- Things to do in Chianti
- Things to do in San Gimignano
- Things to do in Siena
- Things to do in Pisa
- Things to do in Livorno
- Things to do in Bologna
- Things to do in Modena
- Things to do in Ravenna
- Things to do in Ferrara
- Things to do in Genoa
- Things to do in Venice
- Things to do in Rome
- Things to do in Emilia-Romagna
- Things to do in Umbria
- Florence Central Market (Mercato Centrale)
- Basilica of San Lorenzo (Basilica di San Lorenzo)
- Medici Chapels
- Medici Riccardi Palace (Palazzo Medici Riccardi)
- Florence Via Cavour (Via Camillo Cavour)
- Leonardo da Vinci Museum (Museo Leonardo da Vinci)
- Michelangelo's Statue of David (Il Davide di Michelangelo)
- Basilica of Santa Maria Novella (Basilica di Santa Maria Novella)
- Giotto's Bell Tower (Campanile di Giotto)
- Hard Rock Cafe Florence
- Florence Baptistery (Battistero di San Giovanni)
- Opera del Duomo Museum (Museo dell'Opera del Duomo)
- Accademia Gallery (Galleria dell'Accademia)
- Brunelleschi's Dome (Cupola del Brunelleschi)
- Piazza di Santa Maria Novella