Mercado Central

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With the substantial increase in population at the end of 1800s and the destruction of the Old Market to make way for the grand Piazza Repubblica, Florence needed new markets in addition to the small one at Loggia del Porcellino. It was decided to construct three new covered markets: San Lorenzo, Sant’Ambrogio and San Frediano (never built).
For the construction of the Central Market it was necessary to clear entire blocks to create a large square in which to build the new market hall. The work was assigned to the architect Giuseppe Mengoni (1870-1874) who had built the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan. For inspiration, he clearly looked to Paris, the city held as the ideal model for the period, and more specifically to the Les Halles market. The result is clearly visible, a striking construction of stone, iron and glass, which despite the different materials and colors used, retains a sense of architectural balance. Most remarkable is the natural illumination providing unexpected brightness thanks to the large windows, creating a new Notre Dame of taste.
Now, after recent renovation, the first floor of the market, which used to hold the vegetable vendors (now located to the ground floor) is a thriving food hall offering tastes of prepared foods and full cooked meals from all over Italy.

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