For over twenty years, Padua has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, known specifically for its remarkable artistic and cultural heritage: the Scrovegni Chapel, the Basilica of the Saint and its 300 other churches, the Prato della Valle (the largest in Europe), the Botanical Garden, and many other diverse wonders.

But its true heart is the central squares, or the market. On both sides of the majestic Palazzo della Ragione, with its main hall adorned with frescoes by Giotto and others that are truly worth visiting, are the Piazza delle Erbe and the Piazza della Frutta.

These squares are so named because, every day, from morning to evening, they are filled with dozens of stalls offering all sorts of produce. Throughout the seasons, you can find Radicchio Tardivo, Castraure, artichoke hearts, bruscandoli, carletti, and all types of imaginable vegetables and fruits immersed in a genuine Italian market atmosphere.

And then there's the best: Il Salone, the oldest covered market in Europe. Under the Palazzo della Ragione itself, for eight hundred years, dozens of shops have been offering products of the highest quality every day. Padua is distinguished by its tradition of using horse meat. In fact, butchers like Canton and Il Desco always display minced meat, sauces, tartare, Straeche, and all possible cuts of this delicious meat.

All types of cheeses, local or not, can be found at different stands like La Bottega Veneta or Gastronomia Marcolin Marcolin. Places where you can also find other local specialties such as creamed cod, Vicenza-style cod, and the list certainly doesn't stop there. Besides the different stands, there are small wine shops and various bars where mortadella, porchetta, and other cold cuts are hand-sliced on-site, like at Bar degli Osei, and various excellent sandwiches like at Bar Nazionale are certainly not lacking.

And it gets even better, just a few meters from the Salone, without ever leaving these two squares, there are other wonders. Not to be missed, La Folperia, a mobile counter that sets up almost every evening to offer, among other seafood specialties, boiled octopus served with their special sauce, which has earned it the title of best street food in northern Italy for several years, and various other stands offering specialties from the entire region.
And if you're still not satisfied, on Piazza della Frutta you'll also find Graziati, one of the best and oldest pastry shops in Italy (their millefeuille is absolutely unmissable).

As if that weren't enough, these squares are surrounded by excellent trattorias. The list is long, but L'Anfora represents the quintessence of a true Italian tavern both in ambiance and in the quality of ingredients that obviously arrive fresh from the market every day.

In short, the Salone confirms that the market is truly the heart of a city.

From the Magazine

Padua's Historic Sotto il Salone Market: UNESCO Heritage & Culinary Treasures