Mercato Nuovo is a covered market in the heart of Florence, set beneath a Renaissance loggia between Piazza della Repubblica and Ponte Vecchio. Also known as the Straw Market, after the straw goods once traded here, it now caters largely to visitors looking for leather goods, scarves, linens and souvenirs. Unlike the food-focused Mercato Centrale, it is as much a stop for its setting and stories as for its stalls.
Commissioned by Cosimo I de’ Medici and built between 1547 and 1551, the loggia once sheltered merchants dealing in silk, gold and fine fabrics. At its centre, a circular marble pavement marker known as the pietra dello scandalo, or stone of shame, recalls a more punitive chapter in the city’s commercial life: bankrupt merchants were reportedly subjected to public humiliation here.
The market’s most famous resident is Il Porcellino, the bronze wild boar fountain on the southern side. The fountain is a copy of a Baroque work by Pietro Tacca, based on an ancient marble sculpture now in the Uffizi. Tradition holds that rubbing the boar’s polished snout and letting a coin fall from its mouth through the grate below will ensure a return to Florence.
Come early to browse before the busiest crowds, and allow time to inspect stitching and ask about materials if you are buying leather, as quality varies. Stall hours can change with the season. Keep valuables secure around the fountain, where visitors tend to gather, then continue on foot towards the Arno or the nearby Duomo.