Florence, Italy
Mercato Nuovo (The Straw Market)
also know as the Porcellino in Florence, Italy is located in the center of the pedestrian area between the Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio.
“Where do the carts go at night”?
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| At the end of a long day all the products are put into the drawers under the carts
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Returning to my hotel I heard the ‘click clack’ of the fachino, the vendors moving their carts away from the market. Where were they going? One way to find out was to follow the carts.
The carts are linked together and pulled off the main street with a motorized trolley. Still it was done with effort since there were 3 or more carts in each line. A sharp turn down a small alley took the carts to stone ‘garages’ or the ground floor…
Tomorrow the carts would return to the market and a new day would begin.
Home to Italy: An Italian American returning 'home' 