New Life In The Old Mercato — Two Parts Italy

Lucca’s old market building, the Mercato del Carmine, began life in the 14th century as a convent for an order of nuns, the Carmelitani Scalzi (Barefoot Carmelites). The nuns left in the mid 1800’s and after that the building was used for a variety of purposes.

A new use was found for the abandoned convent in the 1930’s. It was repurposed to house Lucca’s big community market which had previously been located in Piazza Anfiteatro (the site of the former Roman Amphitheater). The nun’s cloister was enclosed with a large roof to shelter the market. The campanile (bell tower) was converted into the clock tower that continues to anchor the building today. The places where nuns once lived and prayed became filled with market stalls.

The market operated until 1974 when it moved to the edge of the walled city, along Via Bacchettoni. A few years ago it moved again to a spot outside the city walls. Somehow the new spot just doesn’t have the same character as I imagine the Old Mercato had.

These little shops once housed vendors of all types - eggs, fish, salumi, chicken, vegetables, grains and spices. It has been sad to see them sit empty for so long.

An art installation in the Mercato del Carmine

For years now the Mercato building has stood largely empty with only a few shops around its exterior perimeter. The large open space inside still shows signs of its former lives as convent and market. There are large arches from the convent and spaces whose signage marks where vendors once sold fish and poultry. It has most recently been used mostly as an “overflow” space for the vegetable shops and Bar del Sole which open onto its interior. But mostly it has been an underused space, one that really showed its age. A second section of the building was closed off, its old arches and fresco remnants hidden from sight.

Recently funds were awarded to restore the building. Many of us hoped it would once again become a permanent market, but that seems unlikely. Sadly, the work has displaced several of the remaining businesses around the perimeter. Gone are the butcher and the chocolate shop. The bar will soon move to a new location. What controversy this has caused! And while people are excited to see the building brought back to life, many also hold out hope that some of the long term businesses will return when the work is completed.

The restoration is ongoing but far enough along that recently some special events have taken place in parts of the building. In late March, Lucca hosted a food fair that flowed across town through several of the piazzas. The largest of the exhibits was a Slow Foods event held in the old Mercato building.

What a joy to see the building filled with booth after booth of wonderful products and throngs of inspired shoppers. Baskets of vegetables and fruits were arranged like culinary art.

Fragrant cheeses and salumi were available to sample. Bakers sold several kinds of bread - focaccia, rolls, whole grain, white, seeded. The fresh Pecorino I tasted easily found its way home with me as did some wonderful focaccia and paper thin slices prosciutto. Nothing beats a market lunch!

Several of the booths featured local wines, olive oil, or honey. There were packages of farro, tiny green lentils, and beans in all shapes and colors along with flours made from variety of grains.

The market was lively, fun, and full of shoppers. The products sold were of high quality. This gives me hope that, just maybe, more markets like this will bring new life to this old Mercato.