The Mercato Centrale or the Central Market in the San Lorenzo district is a “must see” destination in Florence for any one who even likes leave alone loves food like I do. In this fabulous closed market you can get the freshest and fairly reasonable priced food together with a lively and colourful ambience which is comes as a bonus for shopping here.

The Central Market, the ultimate destination for locals and foodies alike, is a very popular and bustling market. It is housed in an elegant building with a glass and cast iron construction built way back in the eighteen hundreds. Mercato Centrale is surrounded by the open stalls of the San Lorenzo Market.

The Mercato Central or Central Market occupies two floors each floor specialising in different food items which assail your senses and send you directly to a gourmet’s paradise. On the ground floor of this historic building you can find the deli stalls as well as fresh meat, fish and poultry stalls. On the ground floor you can also find shops selling different cheeses, wines, balsamic vinegars, dried mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, pastas, breads, olive oils, truffle oil, dried herbs, spices and condiments.

On the first floor of the Central Market you can find a riot of colours as you will find the entire space occupied by fruit and vegetable stalls bursting with fresh and seasonal produce. This is by far the most colourful and appealing part of the market.

The Mercato Centrale or Central Market is open daily from 7 am upto 2 pm except on Sundays and public holidays. In winter it is open on Saturdays afternoons as well. You can begin your day with a cappuccino and some croissants or pastries from the stalls in the market. Alternatively you can also grab a quick bite for lunch from the stalls or a boiled beef sandwich (a popular Florentine specialty) from Nerbone a popular stall cum small restaurant situated inside the Central Market.

The beautiful Bargello Palace is one of the famous landmarks which enhance the cultural landscape of Florence. From 1865 it became the National Museum of Bargello or Museo Nazionale del Bargello. The National Museum of Bargello is situated near Piazza San Firenze.

The National Museum of Bargello has an extensive and remarkable collection of paintings and sculptures ensconced in a historic magnificent impressive thirteenth century building with an open courtyard and a grand and lovely external staircase. It has important and famous works of art mainly from the fourteenth and sixteenth century.

It will be very difficult for me to list all the masterpieces in the National Museum of Bargello but I can definitely tell you that this is the place where you can see some of the best of renaissance and gothic art and sculpture. You can find famous sculptures including David by Donatello, surrounded by sculptures of his pupils Settignano and Rossellino. You can also see the panels submitted by Lorenzo Ghiberti and Brunelleschi for the famous competition of 1401 for executing the Baptistery doors. The sculptors of the renaissance are ably represented by Luca dell Robbia, Michelangelo and Verrochio. You can also find famous works by Vincenzo Gemito, Andrea Sansovino, Jacopo Sansovino, Bandinelli and Cellini. The list of famous sculptures is long and fantastic making it a definitely worth a visit for lovers of art and sculpture.

The National Museum of Bargello has also enhanced its collections through the centuries with private collections from the House of Medici as well as from other private benevolent donors. Currently you can find exquisite and notable displays of medals, seals, ancient coins, tapestries, arms and armaments, furniture, waxes, ivory and amber artifacts, medieval glazes, Limoges porcelain, Islamic art and Venetian glass in addition to the beautiful bronzes and wax sculptures.

The National Museum of Bargello has the largest display of gothic and renaissance art and sculpture in Italy dating from the fourteenth to the seventeenth century. When you visit Florence we can help you make your visit an enjoyable and culturally rich trip as we really wish you enjoy visiting Florence.

Christmas season is one of the best times for you to visit Florence, the cultural capital of Italy. Florence offers you a plethora of amazing events to celebrate Christmas so come and spend Christmas with us. One of the better ways to welcome the spirit of the season is by attending the Christmas Concert at the Teatro Verdi.

The Christmas Concert at the Verdi Theatre will be on at 4.30 pm on Monday the twenty fourth of December. Do book your tickets and enjoy the lovely concert. The Christmas Concert has been organized by the Regional Orchestra of Tuscany and the famous personality Alessandro Pinzauti is the conductor.

Be there at the Verdi Theatre on Via Ghibellina and welcome the season of joy with classical music in the excellent ambience of the Verdi theatre. Then go on to enjoy the rest of the evening in Florence and finally you can visit any of the beautiful churches and complete this exciting Christmas Eve with solemnity, spirituality and prayer.

Finocchiona is a traditional Tuscan pork product whose origins may not be certain but it may have first been produced in Florence. However according to legend a thief visiting  a fair near Prato is supposed to have stolen fresh salami and hidden it in a cart of wild fennel. When he retrieved it some time later, the salami had imbibed the aroma and flavour of the wild fennel. Thus the Finocchiona was born. Whatever be its origins which ever Tuscan city it may belong to the Finocchiona is a delicious Tuscan food which has delighted millions to date.
 
Finocchiona is named after the popular herb fennel with which it is seasoned. Florence fennel has a lovely aroma and is commonly available. In Florence fennel was more easily available than spices during the Middle Ages. Fennel was used to season this sausage not only to improve its taste but may be also to mask the off flavours of meat.
 
Finocchiona is made by finely grinding pork with fennel, salt, pepper and even garlic. It is aged for a period of about seven months to one year before being released to the market. When the ageing period is shortened the salami is then called Finocchiona Sbriciolona. This has a more crumbly texture and it resembles a sausage more than salami.
 
Finocchio (fennel in Italian) gives this salami a slightly sweet and unique and intriguing taste and flavour. It has a strong and salty taste. Finocchiona has hints of spice, a mild nuttiness combined with some sweetness.
 
When wild fennel which grows in the woods is used to season pork the best and tastiest Finocchiona is obtained. Although other varieties of pig can be used to obtain the ground pork when the ancient Cinta Senese breed of pig is used you can get to taste a rare and exclusive type of Finocchiona. 
 
Finocchiona is a major ingredient in many Tuscan starters, appetizers and pasta sauces. It is a food accompaniment for strong flavoured cheeses and robust Tuscan wines. When you visit Tuscany and Florence remember to try Finocchiona a delicious Tuscan cold cut.

Florence has always been famous for its outdoor and indoor markets. One of the more famous among its various markets is the Sant Ambrogio Market which is held every morning at the Piazza Ghiberti near Santa Croce.

The open markets in Florence offer both the Florentines and tourists a chance to pick up fresher and reasonably priced goods when compared to the various supermarkets. They have such a lovely atmosphere teeming with life, filled with bonhomie and cheer that it is definitely great fun to visit and shop here.

Sant Ambrogio Market is an ancient Florentine market situated in a large attractive building built in the eighteen sixties with various stalls spilling outside the building. The market stalls offer fresh fruits and vegetables, various cheeses, fish and meats. The outer stalls sell fruits, vegetables, household items and even clothes whereas the inner ones concentrate on selling cheeses, various cuts of meat and fish and pastas as well.

As you wander around the market exploring the various stalls you can even get yourself a few snacks or even a small meal as there is a reasonably priced trattoria called Rocco offering authentic and tasty local Italian cuisine.

Spend some time at a local market like Sant Ambrogio Market and lose yourself in the exciting flavours and fragrances that a simple marketing experience in Florence can give. You can soak in the local atmosphere as you may even find some farmers selling their produce near the fringes of the Sant Ambrogio Market.

Sant Ambrogio Market is open from Monday to Saturdays from 7am to 2 pm. It remains closed on Sundays and other holidays.