Markets in Lecce – Food, Clothes, and Can Openers
Open air markets in Lecce can be as interesting an experience as any museum or must-see attraction. Or even more so, since they offer a rare glimpse into the daily lives of the locals. Markets in Lecce are great places to shop, and not just for food. You can find trendy clothes, the beach towel you forgot to pack, souvenirs, and even handy kitchen gadgets (like that can opener that’s missing from the kitchen of your B&B). Even if you’re not in the market for buying anything new, the everyday chaos of the markets is worth witnessing. Join the fray and bring home a cool new t-shirt, piece of jewelry, or any of the other myriad items up for sale.
Growing up where I did (upper midwest, USA) markets fascinated me. The weekly big-box grocery store trip was the norm for most families. The local weekly farmers’ market was the closest I had ever seen to an Italian market, and it seemed like more of a novel pastime than a practical pursuit. You could get food and handmade crafts – some of it local, all of it expensive. No one was there as a part of their required daily shopping. Italian markets are different. They are a much more practical, everyday affair. Supermarkets may be frequented by locals, but the markets are clearly a part of the quotidian shopping circuit. They are definitely worth checking out while you are in Lecce.
Here are a few to get you started:
(Note: the “when” is subject to change, but this is how it shaped up at the time of writing.)
Lecce Daily Market – Porta Rudiae
Where: Just outside Porta Rudiae – map it
When: Daily in the mornings & afternoons, closed after 2pm on Thursdays/Sundays/Holidays
I walked past this so many times without thinking it was anything worth looking at. I paid more attention to the coffee shop and florist on either side of the building. Then, when I did notice it, I was a little intimidated to venture inside. There are always older gentlemen standing around the main door smoking. It seemed like a … well, a place for locals to hang out and smoke. As a non-smoking foreigner, I assumed I wasn’t invited.
Anyway, suffice it to say I finally did go in and I swear it’s bigger on the inside. There are stands for fruit and vegetables, a place to buy meat and dairy products and a lot of other edible things. Walk past it on Sunday morning and try to resist the savory aroma of roasting chicken.
Daily (or mostly daily) Market in Piazza Libertini
Where: Piazza Libertini – map it
When: I can’t quite get a bead on this. There are vendors every morning. Sometimes only a few and sometimes many. At any rate, they close up shop at around 1pm.
There is always a variety of things at this market like clothing and supplies for the home (fabric, pillows, towels, kitchen gadgets). This one doesn’t have food. By clothing, I mean everything from elegant dresses to t-shirts right down to socks and unmentionables. When the market is full of vendors, you are spoiled for choice. The quality is variable, but the prices are unbeatable. I have found some lovely scarves for less than 5 euro that are in permanent rotation in my wardrobe. It is a great place to supplement your travel wardrobe if you find you should have packed something and didn’t.
Mercato di Campagna Amica di Parco Tafuro
Where: Parco Tafuro: via Luigi Corvaglia, 73100, Lecce Lecce – map it
When: M/W/F, 8am – 1pm
This is the classic farmers market, with the freshest, in-season, local produce you can get. The market on the day I went was small, a few stands, but the selection was great nonetheless. I felt like Aladdin in the Cave of Wonders, but the riches here were edible. Tomatoes like red and yellow jewels teetered next to masses of verdant spinach and beans. Velvety peaches and apricots piled up alongside shining regal-purple eggplants. Cocomeri overflowed into the ruffled, golden bouquets of zucchini blossoms.
Limited by what I could carry for the rest of the morning, I only got one thing: grapes. But these were not just grapes. I had never seen grapes so vibrant and with stems so green they must have been picked that very morning. The proud grower insisted I try one before I buy and handed me a juicy little purple globe with his calloused hand. The sweet-tart flavor was so intense it brought tears to my eyes. He bagged up a bunch for me and I handed over a single euro. I was holding the bargain of the century. (I would never look at the flavorless supermarket grapes I get at home the same way again.) I carried away my treasure knowing they were not long for this world.
Antiques Market
Where: Viale XX Settembre – map it
When: last Sunday of every month, 8am – 1pm (I am pretty sure setup starts at 8, so getting there at 9 is plenty early)
Walking through this market is like being in a real life I Spy book. This is THE place to go to find one-of-a-kind souvenirs. The catch is, you have to be patient enough to nose through stacks of old coins, Nokia phones — pre-rotary phones, even — records, books about folklore of Salento, WWII helmets, furniture, fabrics and lace, wall hangings, and dishes. (There’s more, but you get the point.)
At the end of the road, there was a Mercato di Campagna Amica market set up too.
Mercato di Campagna Amica – Piazzetta Bottazzi
Where: Piazzetta Bottazzi – map it
When: Sundays 8am – 1pm
This is a lovely little farmers market in Lecce with local produce, and artisan goods such as cheese and bread. Like the market in Parco Tafuro, you’ll find seasonal, fresh produce from nearby farms. Snap up it up and turn into a perfect Sunday lunch, if you are fortunate enough to have a kitchen available. For the rest of us, the in-season fruit they offer is a welcome consolation prize that don’t need much prep.
Twice-weekly market – (Mercato Bisettimanale)
Where: Viale dello stadio – map it
When: M/F mornings
This market is enormous. I saw it in the distance as I approached on foot and thought it looked pretty standard. As I got closer, the stands seemed to unfold as I continued to walk, and making my way between the stands was downright disorienting. Don’t be surprised if, by the time you’re done perusing, you need to check your GPS to figure out where you are.
The market has the usual mix of clothes, household items, and oh, so many shoes. There are also food stands (with cheese, nuts, olives, and such) — and even furniture!
Unless open-air markets are really your jam, you’re looking for some inexpensive clothes, or you are doing research for a blog post on markets in Lecce, this isn’t a must-see market. Beyond sheer size, the market is unremarkable and far enough outside of the center that you can’t just swing by and check it out. If you happen to be out that way anyway, it might be an interesting stop. If not, don’t let FOMO get to you… this market is not life-changing by any stretch of the imagination.
Tip: If you go on foot like I did, be prepared for the distance, the heat, and sun — in the summer, that is. Treat yourself at the nearby Pasticceria Luca Capilungo — you’ll go right past it if you are walking from the city center.
Other markets in the Salento
Galatina – Thursday mornings – Via Vittorio Emanuele 27
Nardo – Friday mornings – Via della Resistenza, 8, 73048 Nardò LE
Handy reference (in Italian):
http://www.infolecce.it/salento-eventi/mercati-settimanali-nel-salento.html