The Nuovo Mercato Esquilino is a fruit, vegetable and fish market in Rome‘s multi-cultural Esquilino district. This covered market consists of two entire blocks. In the first one, coming from Roma Termini, most stalls sell cheap China-imported clothes, while the second part is dedicated to food from all over the world.
Nuovo Mercato Esquilino
Address and opening hours
The Mercato Rionale Nuovo Esquilino is located inside two huge buildings on the corner of the Via Filippo Turati and the Via Mamiani. Opening hours: From 07.00 till 14.00h. Closed: Sundays.
History and description
The market has not always been indoors. It was not until the food and vegetable market in the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II itself became too noisy and smelly for the inhabitants of the area it was moved to its present location. The market is spread out over two buildings in the Via Principe Amedeo.
The original market, two rows of stalls around the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele itself, existed for more than a century before it was moved to its present location. It was started towards the end of the 19th century and renovated in 1913. It survived fascism and even continued during the war, but on September 15, 2001 it was finally moved to the former carabinieri barracks.
Nowadays it is one of Rome’s most colorful markets, with Chinese stalls next to Romanians selling vegetables and stalls of Indian spices flanked by Italians themselves selling specialties from the Lazio countryside.
Garden of Confucius
The cheap clothes section is way less interesting than the food section. However, the building itself has one point of interest. Its central space is taken up by an intimate little garden, a perfect contrast to the hustle and bustle of the market itself.