Porta Portese is the Rome market par excellence, also remembered by the timeless Baglioni song. This lively, typically Roman place was a source of inspiration for registers, writers and singers.
An image of the Porta Portese Market in 1955
An image of the Porta Portese Market in 1955
The Porta Portese market was born around 1945 as the new headquarters of the black stock exchange held in Campo de 'Fiori. In this place, in the post-war period, "the Romans of Rome" could sell, buy and barter the strangest objects. Today, as generations of street vendors follow one another, Moroccans, Indians and Chinese have joined, making Porta Portese one of the most famous markets in Italy and Europe for its multi-ethnicity and the possibility of finding the most unthinkable objects. In fact, it is said that at Porta Portese "you can find everything from the pill to the Jumbo Jet".
The Porta Portese Market
The Porta Portese Market
This is because, like all flea markets, this market also offers all kinds of bric-a-brac, books, antiques, toys, records, furniture, cosmetics and vintage postcards. It is possible to find from the Indian silver, to the leather garment sold by the Africans, to the shoes and "fake" clothing. Certainly it is not a food market, but despite this there are also stalls where you can buy toasted peanuts, fried donuts and Apulian taralli. In short, the list of things to find is so vast that it could go on forever. Like any self-respecting market, it is possible to negotiate on the price of the goods, you can ask for discounts, you can touch everything without buying anything. The street vendors pull passers-by towards their stalls, try to attract them with chatter and win them over with sympathy, so even those who go to Porta Portese just out of curiosity, return home with their hands full of envelopes.
The market opens its doors every Sunday at 6:00 am until 2:00 pm and the best deals are made at market opening or closing times. In the rush hour there are lots of beggars and pickpockets, so we must always be on our guard. Nevertheless, it is one of the most colorful and characteristic places where it is still possible to breathe the atmosphere typical of ancient Rome.