My family really enjoyed market days in Provence last summer.

Are the town markets in Tuscany as much fun ... in November?

Any you'd especially recommend?

We're staying close to Colle di Val d'Elsa; I think the market is on Fridays.

In my experience, no Italian market is equal to a French market, yet they are still a lot of fun. All the ones I've been to have had far more clothing and trinkets than produce and food products. Can't help you with specific Tuscan markets, though; I've only recently been to ones in Umbria and the Ligurian coast.

Let me preface by saying...Italy has my heart but when it comes to market days = no comparison with the ones in Provence. Comparing apples to oranges in my opinion.

I've been to a half-dozen or so markets in the region south of Siena, and I have been to the Siena market. They are like K-Mart parking lot sales. No comparison what-so-ever to the Provence markets.

Stu Dudley

Oh, dear. This isn't looking too good....

Thanks for the replies, though!

I agree with the above posters, just say no to Tuscan markets! There will be plenty of other magical moments to be had in Tuscany.

I agree with the rest of the posters. I was really looking forward to market days in a few towns in Umbria and was totally disappointed at the products...its true its like K-Mart sales!! We went to the markets in Trevi, Gubbio and spoleto.

Same thing in Tuscany...very underwhelming except for the fresh basil leaves they were selling!!

Let me chime in !
I agree they are not worth your time and the towns are packed with locals--no parking.

Thanks all: it looks like I'll note down the days of all the markets in our area ... in order to avoid visiting the towns on those days!

Wow, surprised to hear this about Italy,, so many here tout it food as so good, and so fresh.. but if market days aren't loaded with fresh produce ,, then how good is food really?

"I'll note down the days of all the markets in our area ... in order to avoid visiting the towns on those days!"

...is silly.

You're not going to be in a position of chosing between going to a Tuscan or Provencal market. True, most Italian street markets are dominated by junk clothing. But there are fruit and veg stalls, where usually the freshness of the produce beats the crap out of the local Coop, and their fruttivendolo's a great deal jollier than the sour faced old crone I always stumble over in Italian greengroceries.

There'll almost always be a porchetta van - and not even a good London greasy spoon's bacon sandwich rivals a porchetta roll for good street food. There'll probably be one or two fish vans - usually selling selling fresher, Mediterranean, fish than the thawed-out, formerly frozen, Atlantic prawns and squid that dominate far too many Italian supermarket fish counters.

The deli vans, selling local salumeria and a range of cheeses, may not quite match Provence: but I've not seen the like anywhere in the English-speaking world. Sydney and San Francisco, who both delude themselves they're serious eating locations, haven't got a single "farmers' market" (as if) between them to match the salumi of the crappiest weekly market even in a dump like like Poggibonsi.


As for seasons: November's fine. There's an irritating tendency to sell chestnuts and that horrible toffee brittle. Just say no, and look for decent mushrooms.

Whilst I prefer markets in Provence, I would not pass up the Italian cheese van, ever. I have great memories of the cheese guy/monger using what looked like chisels to cut our Parmesan, not to mention the taste of local cheeses that we had never heard of.

Even at Provence's best markets, I don't always enjoy towns if their market is going on -- they tend to cover up the good bits and parking is a pain.

>>San Francisco, who both delude themselves they're serious eating locations, haven't got a single "farmers' market" <<

Geeze flan - I go to Farmer's Markets in San Francisco, and elsewhere in the Bay Area all the time. There is a great organic market at the Ferry Building twice a week, others in different neighborhoods in SF (Noe Valley, Alemany, UN Plaza). Just about every city down the Peninsula from SF has a Saturday or Sunday farmers market. You must not have visited San Francisco in quite a while.

Our closest friends have a second home in Tuscany. We've been to several markets there and even basic potatoes are hard to find. Most markets have no fish vendors. We only saw 1 food vendor in Siena selling the pork sandwiches you mentioned. I did not purchase one (didn't look that great) but friends did and said it needed some mayonaise or some other type of condiment.

During porcini season, I searched all over souhern Tuscany for fresh porcini - didn't find any. In France, there are usually multiple porcini (cepes in France) vendors, and at one market in France (Caussade) there were about 10 vendors selling cepes from 4-5 different growing regions in France.

Fish is rare in inland Tuscany at markets. I think Montalcino has a fish vendor that sells about a half dozen different kinds of fish (not seafood like shrimp, but fish). Every other week a fish vendor sells the same in San Quirico. At markets in Provence and other areas of France, I've seen multiple fish vendors with over 50 different types of seafood (I counted once).

In San Quirico where our friends live, much of the produce is grown in gardens that the residents own.

I usually avoid villages on Market days - because it detracts from the enjoyment of the village.

I stopped counting several years ago, but I estimate that we've been to 50 or so different markets in France.

Stu Dudley
33 year resident of San Francisco area.

I wouldn't go out of my way to go to market days in Italy, but there are a few reasons to go. Greve in Chianti has a Sunday market with excellent pork products, salumni, cheese and junk. There are often olives and dried fruits and nuts. By the way, we love that toffee stuff, especially with hazlenuts.

In Siena, the food market generally ends earlier than the junk market, and it is not at the top of the hill/fortifications, but going down the hillside toward the parking areas beneath the old walls. If you are looking at the top, you won't find food. Market day is on Wednesday.

Spices, dried fruit (especially those little squares of coconut) and cheeses, porchetta (mayonaise???) and salami, prosciutto, etc. are the types of foods you will find on market days in Tuscany.

If you go looking for markets comparable to those you shopped in Provence, you will be disappointed, but if you are willing to try the goodies available, you might really enjoy them.

Really, flan, San Francisco and the Bay area have tons of great farmers' markets, which I frequent whenever I get out to visit my now two kids who go to school in the area. Who are you kidding?

Given that British markets are still mongering the same offal and grunge they were a few centuries ago, I would think you might be a bit more charitable.

In fact...I would make certain there are towns to avoid on their market days. I raved about San Gimignano to my husband so we took a little day trip from the farmhouse rental last year - it was their market day and it totally changed the appearance and ambiance of this lovely town. Just like an earlier poster said - it looked like K-Mart under tents. Took up the entire piazza, you couldn't even see the Cisterna - you get a completely different feel about San Gim and it wasn't good! By the way, market day there is Thursday.

The great Italian food markets are open every day, not just market day, and they are chock-full of the best fresh produce, meat, cheese, fish, .... (now I'm hungry).

Visit the Mercato Centrale in Florence, for example, or the fish market in Venice. Or the one under the arcades in Bologna.

While Italian market days may not be equal to those in Provence (I have no measure, personally) they have their own charm, IMHO.

Italian market days are not manufactured for tourists: they sell the goods that the locals need and that are not abundantly on offer at the local stores, so, yes, this can look like some sort of Walmart-under-awnings.

But, while avoiding the cheap Chinese imports, DON'T dismiss all offerings without checking them out. Seek out the Italian made coffee makers and expresso machines and all the parts you can purchase their to repair them. (In North America, it is assumed you will just buy an new one.) It is, to my way of thinking, fascinating to see the new Italian-made linens on display. Do paw over the offerings and see the source of the second-hand clothing (often some first-rate, designer stuff ends up here: how?). And then there is the porchetta and cornetto vans and amazing a beautiful displays of candy.

And if you haven't tried toronne (that "toffee-stuff&quot don't slag it! It is one of Italy's great gifts to confectionary.

>> for example, or the fish market in Venice. Or the one under the arcades in Bologna.<<

I'm pretty sure these cities are not in Tuscany, and it would be to far from Tuscany to go market shopping there in the morning.

Stu Dudley

>>to far <<

too far

Stu Dudley