10 Best Markets in Rome

Let Piazza Campo de’ Fiori attack your senses. The place bustles with locals and visitors in the mornings. It’s surrounded by neo-classical buildings, with the statue of executed Italian philosopher Giordano Bruno looming over the huge variety of tented vendors. You’ll find all sorts of souvenirs, like T-shirts and tiny bottles of liquor, but most sell flowers and exotic fruits and vegetables, as well as meats, fish and cheese. Though it may seem too touristy compared to Rome’s other mercato, it’s a good starting point. Have fun watching the lively haggling banter before you try for yourself. Cash in Euros only.

Porta Portese flea market is among Rome’s biggest. It’s mostly vintage items sold here, such as used clothing and antiques (good Italian quality and rare, nevertheless). You might come across some aged Chinese porcelain or Middle-Eastern jewellery pieces among the lot – there’s plenty of imported items, but all at bargain prices. A section sells only new local Italian stuff, such as coats and handbags. The market’s vast, so you’ll need to dig deep beyond the surface of the common knick-knacks to get to the real deals. Though it’s not so touristy, get here early to avoid the crowds, and beware of pickpockets.

By its name, Mercato delle Stampe (Stamp Market) comes across as a philatelist’s heaven. Also known as Fontanella Borghese, this open-air space on Largo della Fontanella di Borghese goes beyond stamps, with a huge variety of permanent boxy, dark grey booths of local collectors showcasing a variety of old prints and back editions. You might stumble upon some old magazine editions or comics, or even old Roman maps and classical musical scores among their troves. Some of the sketches and paintings are worth a look, and you can bargain directly with the artists or collectors.

As one of the less crowded Sunday flea markets in Rome, Borghetto Flaminio is a short stroll south from the Flaminio station along Via Flaminia. For around €1.50, you can enter this market space to explore and try your bargaining at the various stalls selling mostly second-hand goods and vintage souvenir items (some of which are “good-looking knock-offs”). You’ll especially see table-top décor, some designer label bags and ladies’ fashion. It’s worth a browse even if you don’t intend to buy anything, and is a great spot for a leisurely Sunday walk. For accommodation, look for hotels in the Flaminio neighbourhood.

Now referred to as Nuovo Mercato di Testaccio since its revamp, Mercato di Testaccio is where you can shop and eat like a local in Rome, slightly away from the more touristy parts of the city. There's several metro stations nearby, for easy transport,  if you are staying in the city centre, however.

Various stalls feature fresh produce, while others offer a wide range of delicious street foods that you can enjoy from around €3, such as pizzas, cured meats, cheeses, pastas and breads. Some wine bars complement the experience, from which you can sample before your purchase. Settle down at a table setup and enjoy people watching while nibbling your purchases.

Known by locals as Mercato Campagna Amica al Circo Massimo, this friendly neighbourhood marketplace just north of the Circus Maximus is one of Rome’s authentic farmers’ markets. It’s open only on the weekends and features many local vendors under one roof. Fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs, potted plants, jams and cold cuts are all available at local prices. Even if you’re not a local looking for groceries, it’s a great experience to witness the traders at work. You can get a homemade gelato (around €3 a serving), fresh juices or ripe cherries to snack on while you watch.

For a walk back in time, head to Rome’s ancient bridge that crosses over the Tiber. It’s home to the Mercatino di Ponte Milvio (Milvian Bridge Market), which is an antique lovers’ paradise, open every second Sunday of the month. Rows of booths along the tree-shaded riverside sell antiques ranging from a variety of Roman statuettes, desk lamps, grand clocks and Venetian mirrors, which can brighten up the living room back home. Some of the paintings aren’t real antiques, but their classical styles are worth a look.

Some of Italy’s historical markets have undergone major revamps. Rome’s Mercato Esquilino is one of them, previously known as Piazza Vittorio after the adjacent city park. Now called Nuovo Mercato Esquilino, the market is modernised, with vendors and stalls under one roof. It still channels its historic charm through the colourful fresh produce on display, with exotic fruits and vegetables, spices, meats and fish, and a full array of Italian cheeses, all at local prices. The market attracts a mixed crowd, and it’s where many of Rome’s immigrant communities source their home ingredients from Chinese to Middle Eastern vendors.

You'll find cheap hotels in the neighbourhood of Esquilino, home to Termini station.

Mercato Trionfale is a fresh morning market housed inside a large single building a few minutes’ walk north of the gates to the Vatican Museums. Get here early in the morning, before your museum visits, to witness a less touristy market scene. It features mostly stalls of local vendors selling fresh grocery items, cheeses and wines (poured into disposable bottles for each purchase) at reasonable prices. If you’re staying at an apartment or hotel room with a kitchenette and plan to try cooking for yourself, this is a great spot to source your ingredients. Fresh pastas are from around €20 per kilogram.

This street market is a good practicing ground for haggling. It’s right outside the San Giovanni station and behind the namesake basilica. Most of the vendors sell souvenirs and clothing items, with some good quality goods worth searching for, if you’re up for a challenge. They’re known to be pushy and persistent, and even rude to the unaccustomed, but you can usually get your way around to a good deal by being insistent with your best price.