Page 347 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Rome

ST ORES AND M ARKE T S  345

appeals to visitors for its cafés and clothes, shoes, bags, belts, jewelry, the food markets sprinkled around
relaxed and friendly atmosphere. toys, and kitchen utensils. But toward the city. A tiny market devoted to
the end of the street there is a large food, fruit, and flowers, it offers a
Porta Portese covered section that extends back charming splash of color in the
Via Portuense & Via Ippolito Nievo. to the Aurelian Wall (see p198) with heart of the city.
Map 7 C3. @ H, 23, 44, 75. many stands piled high with second- Piazza San Cosimato (Map 7 C1)
v 3, 8. Open 6:30am–2pm Sun. hand clothes at very low prices for in Trastevere hosts another lively
those who like to rummage. local market with some tempting
The mercato delle pulci or flea There is also a section that sells cheeses and salami.
market is a relatively new market military-style goods plus some There is a fairly big market on
in Roman terms. Established camping and fishing equipment. Via Alessandria (Map 6 D1) in
shortly after the end of World War II, Some of these stands move Nomentana, and other smaller
it is said to have grown out of the their wares to Porta Portese on ones in Via della Pace (Map 4 E4
thriving black market that operated Sunday morning. & 11 C3) near Piazza Navona,
at Tor di Nona opposite Castel and in Via Balbo (Map 5 C4)
Sant’Angelo during those lean Local Markets and Via Milazzo (Map 6 E3)
years. Vendors come from as Generally Open 7am–1pm Mon–Sat. near Termini station.
far away as Naples and set up All markets usually have at
their stands in the early hours of Piazza delle Coppelle (Map 4 F3 & least one stand selling house-
the morning – if you are strolling 12 D2), near the Pantheon, is hold goods, and basic Italian
in that direction after a late night probably the most picturesque of kitchen gadgets.
in Trastevere, it is well worth
pausing just to watch them.
Anything and everything seems to Street Fairs The utterly glamorous Alta
be for sale, piled high on stands in Roma Fashion Show is a
carefully arranged disorder – clothes, A special and interesting must for fashionistas, though
shoes, bags, luggage, camping feature of shopping in Rome tickets to the various events
equipment, linen, towels, pots, pans, is the street fair. are often by invitation only.
kitchen utensils, plants, pets, spare Neglected and under- However, the public can
parts, old cassettes, exploited for most of the year, squeeze in to some events
CDs, LPs, and even 78s. the lower banks of the Tiber to enjoy this display of all-
Furniture stands tend to be come into their own in summer Italian designer fashion. So
concentrated around Piazza Ippolito during the mid-June–early far it has been held mid- to
Nievo along with what they call September Lungo il Tevere late July.
“antiques,” though you festival. This takes place daily The traditional Christmas
may have to sort through an awful from 6pm until after midnight Fair held in Piazza Navona from
lot of junk before finding a real on the stretch of river between mid-December until January 6
one. And then you will have to Ponte Palatino and Ponte Sisto. is now rather down-at-heel, but
bargain for it. The technique is to Stands sell a variety of goods, still fascin ating for those who
offer them half the asked price, from regional produce and
and then walk away. A lot of people ethnic bric-a-brac to books and have not seen it before, or for
go just for the fun of it and end up confectionery. You can also take children. Stands selling clay
buying something. a break at one of the many bars statues for nativity scenes and
There are also secondhand clothes and eateries lining the route. candies that look like pieces of
– leather or sheepskin coats and There are various open-air coal are the main attraction.
jackets go for €20 – with many of the antiques markets held in the Natale Oggi is a well-
Via Sannio vendors relocating here city throughout the year. One established event taking place
for the Sunday market. In recent of the most central and best near Christmas at the Fiera di
years, Porta Portese has become known is La Soffitta sotto i Roma in the Portuense district,
much frequented by customers Portici (The Attic beneath the and worth visiting to take a look
belonging to the various immigrant Porticoes), which is held 8am– at the Italian Christmas treats.
groups in the capital. If you have a 7pm every other Sunday (except Via Giulia hosts art fairs now
Sunday morning to spare, a visit to August) along the eastern edge and then, and open evenings
the market is now one of the most of Piazza Augusto Imperatore. when the antiques and art
cosmopolitan experiences that the Professional and weekend sellers galleries stay open late, offering
city offers. run stands offering antique (or food and wine to all visitors.
simply retro) furniture, lamps, Every year Trastevere hosts
Mercato di Via Sannio jewelry, and objets d’art. its very own carnival, the Festa
Via Sannio. Map 9 C2. q San Giovanni. The Via Margutta Art Fair de’ Noantri, in late July, when
@ 16, 81, 87. Open 8am–1pm Mon– usually takes place around Viale Trastevere is overrun
Fri; 8am–6pm Sat. Christmas and in springtime. with the typical porchetta
Set in one of the most charming stands (see p347), party lights,
In the 1960s and 1970s this used and exclusive streets of the gift stands, and people.
to be Italy’s answer to London’s city, this is an event not to be The details given here may
Carnaby Street. Today, at first missed, although it is more change, so consult the local
glance, it seems not to have for browsing, since prices are listings, the tourist office, or the
anything special to offer – random very high. tourist call center (see p369).
stands selling inexpensive casual

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