Piazza delle Erbe Site Features

The morning market

Fruit and vegetable stalls set up early and clear by early afternoon, six days a week. This is the square's actual purpose and the hour at which it makes most sense.

Sotto il Salone

The arcade beneath the Palazzo della Ragione, lined with food shops that have been trading in the same spot for centuries -- cured meats, cheese, bread. It stays open when the outdoor stalls have gone.

The evening shift

From about six the square changes hands entirely: bar tables, students, and spritz. The transition happens within an hour and is one of the more striking daily changes in any Italian city centre.

Piazza dei Frutti, on the other side

The Palazzo's northern flank faces a second square, historically the fruit market. The two are a pair and are best seen as one space interrupted by a building.