Fresh artichokes at the Rialto Markets

The food markets are always a good place to visit on any holiday – they give you an indication of what foods are in season, what are in the kitchens and on the dining tables of locals and what foods you can expect in the restaurants.

Historic Working Markets

The Rialto Markets are working markets and this is where Venetian housewives and restaurant chefs have been coming to do their shopping for hundreds of years. If you’re  here really early in the morning, you’ll see the loaded barges arriving to deliver their day’s cargo at dawn.  We arrived late in the day and although the frenzy of the market day was over, there were still some stalls open.

There are two markets, both to the north of Rialto Bridge:

• The Erberia sells fruit and vegetables.  The wholesalers arrive early to distribute their produce and by mid-morning the retailers have set up their stalls.  If you want to mingle amongst the local shoppers or if you’re looking to buy some fruit and vegetables you have to get here early because by noon most of the action is over.

• The Fish Market is in the building with arches that overlooks the Grand Canal, just adjacent to the Erberia. In the Pescheria or fish market you’ll see all kinds of fish, octopus, squid, clams and other seafood.

If you are interested in learning more about the San Polo area and the workings of the Rialto Markets, you can do a Walking Tour of San Polo where your local guide will unlock the many secrets of Venice’s oldest district.

To get to the Rialto Markets on your own is easy as they are just at the foot of the Rialto Bridge.  Most visitors to Venice will find themselves crossing this iconic Venice bridge a few times during their Venice holiday.  The centre of the Bridge is a fantastic place to stand and soak in the atmosphere of Venice as you watch the activities and traffic on Venice’s famous Grand Canal.

San Polo is a nice shopping precinct so even if you’re not in the market for food, it’s an interesting area to explore and shop for some Murano glass jewelry, Venetian masks, leather goods, etc.

Seeing Venice through Travel Signposts photos.

Venice Rialto Bridge - Grand Canal

Ponte di Rialto or Rialto Bridge as we know it, is one of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal in Venice and the oldest amongst the four.

Built between 1588 and 1591, this was the only link between the two sides of the Grand Canal until 1854 when the Accademia Bridge was built.

Prior to the construction of this stone bridge there was a wooden bridge and before that an earlier pontoon bridge. The earlier wooden crossing collapsed in 1444 under the weight of spectators during the wedding ceremony of the Marchese di Ferrara.

Designed by Antonio da Ponte

When the wooden bridge fell into a state of disrepair by the 16th century, a competition was held for the design of a new bridge which was to be built in stone. The competition drew entries from many eminent architects and even Michelangelo was considered as a potential designer.

Interestingly, after a long deliberation, it was the design by Antonio da Ponte that was chosen over those by the more famous architects. What an apt name for a bridge designer! Antonio da Ponte’s single span stone bridge was quite similar to the wooden bridge that was there previously. The design was considered to be audacious by some who predicted its collapse. Da Ponte was helped by his nephew Antonio Contino who later designed Ponte dei Sospiri or the Bridge of Sighs.

Completed in 1591, Ponte di Rialto is today one of Venice’s famous iconic landmarks. Everyone visiting Venice will have crossed this bridge several times, stood at the central portico to watch the busy traffic on the Grand Canal and soak in the atmosphere of this beautiful city, taken a thousand photos and peered into the covered ramps carrying rows of shops.

Italy travel is a feast for all the senses...

I love Italy. Travel in Italy should mean swanning round in a red Ferrari convertible between legendary hotels in legendary places like the Hotel Cipriani in Venice, the Hassler in Rome and Corbusier’s Punta Tragara in Capri.

Not just a dream…

Unfortunately this kind of Europe tour must remain a dream for most of us, but here’s the good news: it is possible to experience the romance of the historic cities, the beauty of the fabled locations and most importantly, the true, open-armed character of Italy without having Giorgio Armani’s bank balance. Just read on.

The best time – and way -to go

Most people go to Italy during the summer season (although this is one European tour destination where I would consider an off-season vacation).

Although the countryside in Italy can be quite beautiful, especially in Tuscany and the mountains, the major points of interest are really in the cities.

You will be doing a lot of walking in Italy, whether you’re shopping or touring around famous sights, and personally I’d rather save my energy for that and partying in the evening rather than bothering with arranging hotels, paying tolls on autostrada and negotiating parking spots amid certifiably insane italian city traffic.

In other words, a coach tour can make good sense if you can find one that covers what you want to do and where you want to go.

Slow food comes with Espresso

More good news: food and wine in Italy is delicious and reasonably priced (Venice may be the exception unless you’re careful). And the coffee is without question the best you will get anywhere, assuming you are not partial to Nescafe. But do take your time. The Italians invented the “Slow Food” concept and if you take the time to savour your meal, you will be amply rewarded.

Promenade down the Via Condotti

And yes, Rome is best in autumn, when the Italians are back from holiday, promenading elegantly down Via Condotti with their suntans in the early evening, dining vociferously around Campo dei Fiori or Piazza Navona, and later, licking their gelati from Giolitti as they walk down to San’ Eustacchio for a last espresso…

Other Italy pages:

Tour Routes in Italy

When to travel to Italy: weather and seasons

Useful facts, dates and links to help you plan your tour of Italy

Food in Italy: a brief gastronomic tour

Book your sightseeing tours or day-trips in Italy online

Book your hotel in Italy online

ITALY TRAVEL WITH US: PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS

Map of Italy with major cities

A Suggested Route around Italy

A comprehensive tour of Italy would take a long time, and if limited to the usually visited sights would omit many interesting experiences. However, here is my offering, and I’d say this was a 24 day minimum (excluding Rome):

Note: links to the towns go to photo albums on the TravelSignposts website

Rome – Cerveteri/Tarquinia – Viterbo – Orvieto – Siena – San Gimignano – Florence – Pisa – Carrara – Portofino (Cinque Terre) – Genoa – Milan – Stresa (Lake Maggiore) – Como – Verona – Bolzano – Cortina d’Ampezzo – Brenta Canal – Venice (NOT Mestre) – Pomposa – Ravenna (St Apollinare in Classe) – Perugia – Assisi – Castel Gondolfo – Frascati – Pompeii – Sorrento – Capri – Positano (Amalfi Coast) – Bari – Matera – Castellana – Alberobello – Lecce – Taranto – Calabrian Mountains – Taormina – Syracuse – Ortygia Island – Piazza Armerina – Enna – Selinunte – Agrigento – Mondello – Palermo – Naples – Monte Cassino – Rome

Most of the standard Europe tours cover roughly the same major highlights, but miss out Sicily, the Genoa section, one or both of the Italian Lakes and Dolomite sectors, and the southeast sector round Alberobello. Distances are not huge and roads are good, so in many cases it would easily be possible to change the order I’ve given above without major difficulty.

Don’t know where a place is? Try this map from Google:

Other Italy pages:

Travel to Italy for more than a Roman holiday!

When to travel to Italy for your tour: weather and seasons

Useful facts, dates and links to help you plan your tour of Italy

Food in Italy: a brief gastronomic tour

Book your sightseeing tours or day-trips in Italy online

Book your hotel in Italy online

TOUR ROUTES IN ITALY: PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS