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Market Day in Sulmona

Posted May 14, 2009 by Walter 10 Comments

The market in Sulmona is a feast for the senses.

The market in Sulmona is a feast for the senses.

You enter Piazza Garibaldi by stepping down stone steps and passing through a series of stone arches. From street level you see the tops of the arches and beyond them, in the distance, snow-capped Apennine peaks. The vast National Park of Abruzzo, a magnet for nature lovers, surrounds the city.

Down the steps, through the arches, you enter a different world. There are about 200 vendors, under a crazy quilt of dazzling canopy colors, selling everything from DVDs to gym shoes, house wares to flowers, clothing to produce. You want a New York Yankee cap? Someone has a deal for you.

fishgirl

We join the other market-goers . . . walking, talking, smiling, enjoying the sun, aromas, excitement and vendor engagement of market day in Sulmona.

Italian vendors reach out to their customers. They charm them, cajole them, spin a playful web of banter and soon you find yourself negotiating for something that you suddenly feel compelled to buy.

My favorite vendor is the fish lady. She has it going on in a brightly painted truck . . . and she attracts a constant stream of customers. She winks, sings, laughs and puts on a great show. Hell, I almost buy a fish.

Sharon is drawn to a regal old woman, sitting alone on a portable chair surrounded be her home-grown wares, using her quiet dignity to attract customers. Sharon buys some walnuts.

marketsignora

We grab a couple of arista panini for lunch. We climb up to the street to a bench on a shaded terrace overlooking the piazza. Some teenage boys are sitting on another bench. They spot us and discern that we’re Americans. They begin speaking with each other in “young, global American” my new term for a patois of American movie sound bites, song lyrics and hip hop.

ragazzisulmona1The panini are tasty and filling. As we pack up to head back to the hotel to check out, I spot a small brass plaque on yet another bench on the terrace. It’s the Sulmona Lions Club. Here’s a city that been in existence from well before the Coliseum days of the Christians versus the Lions to the small-world of global networking and the Lions Club.

lionsclub

Share your experience. What adventures have you had in markets in Italy?

Filed Under: Abruzzo, Culture, Food, Language, Lifestyle, Miscellany

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Comments

  1. Rita Pace Novik says

    September 16, 2019 at 2:18 PM

    I love Sulmona and my family is from there. I will be coming to Sulmona from 10/26/19 thru 10/30/19. I was wondering what days and times is the outdoor market open during that time.

    Would appreciate hearing from you.

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      September 18, 2019 at 12:28 PM

      Ciao Rita,
      I believe the Piazza Garibaldi market is open Wednesday and Saturday mornings but, to be sure, I’d advise you to check at your place of lodging when you arrive. What a beautiful time of year to visit Abruzzo.
      Sharon

      Reply
  2. Sam says

    June 7, 2018 at 8:10 AM

    The piazza looks nice. My mom was born in Sulmona. I hope to visit
    one day

    Reply
  3. Bianca says

    July 3, 2016 at 9:55 PM

    Love
    Sulmona..family all lives there. Your stories and pictures bring back memories.

    Reply
  4. Lorri Hoddinett says

    June 10, 2014 at 2:04 PM

    One of my fondest memories is the market place in Elba. I needed a four wheel drive to take me back to my pension.

    I purchased extra large Pasta Bowls , tiny red coffee cups. beautiful linen

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      June 10, 2014 at 2:25 PM

      What a fun memory!

      Reply
  5. Emma says

    May 15, 2009 at 8:12 AM

    I LOVE the picture with the woman selling fish–her pink gloves, the turquoise background. It’s a sweet shot.

    Reply
  6. Massimo Melani says

    May 14, 2009 at 11:57 PM

    Wally…………….you shoud have bought some fish anyway…!

    Reply
  7. Ciaochowlinda says

    May 14, 2009 at 1:13 PM

    I’ve been to that market in Sulmona. It’s a beautiful city. Did you buy some confetti while you were there?

    Reply
    • Sharon says

      May 15, 2009 at 10:22 AM

      We did sample some confetti. . .we’ll write about it in a future post.

      Reply

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