A few years ago now a Florentine friend gave me one of the simplest and most useful travel tips I’ve ever received. When moving around Italy, he recommended, the best way to get the sense of an area, be it a town, a village, or a large city, is to head to the nearest market. It’s a wise maxim, and one I’ve held close over the years. 

From Turin’s Porta Palazzo to Palermo’s Ballarò, Italy is hardly short of beautiful places to shop. The market culture, in spite of all competition from modern superstores, is still alive, well, and thriving. This is one of many things that makes it so enjoyable to travel in the country, or, if you live here, a wonderful place to call home.