Mercato on wheels

Mobile store

One of the favorite things for many visitors to Italy is the weekly mercati that taken place in each town. We enjoy these markets where you can wander amongst the vendors and see an array of items from fresh fruit to kitchenware to clothing. Unfortunately it seems that the majority of the clothing items most vendors carry are low quality Chinese products. However here in Ascoli Piceno there are a few who carry only Italian made clothing and shoes. One of our favorites in Piazza Roma specializes in shoes made only in Marche.

These markets are only open in the morning and then the vendors must pack up and head home until they go to the next town that has a market the following day. They use a variety of vehicles for this process, some as simple as their family car. You can tell who the serious vendors are by the rigs they drive. Some of these are mobile stores with fold out roofs and swing out walls with built in shelves and storage. In a matter of minutes they can pull into a space and be open up for business.

I took these photos of two different mobile stores in Piazza San Benedetto in Norcia.