Piazza Mercato

Il "mercato" (the market) in every "piazza" or "centro" (downtown) in Italy is where local Italians gather for their daily groceries shopping and more. In fact, next to fruit and vegetables stands, you will find a display of shoes and garments with leather apparel hanging behind pots and pans and pieces of art. If you understand a bit the Italian culture, you will amuse yourself and find almost theatrical watching vendors and consumers when they put into action their bargaining skills to assure that they are both winners at closing the deal. Going to Piazza Mercato is also a social affair; between one stand and another, people take time to catch up on their personal matters and daily life--if one knows, the whole town knows. So what? At the end of the day it is all forgotten and by finding comfort into each other, people feel even more connected. This is the life of a rural Italian town like that of my lovely and ancient "paesello" (little town) San Lorenzello.