Rialto Market

The Rialto Market is as bustling today as it has ever been. It is not only a market, but also a center of law and the historical heart of Venice. It takes its name from the Italian work Rivoaltus, the high ground that is free from the city's perennial flood waters. The market itself stretches back into history; references to the Rialto Market can be found as early as 1067. However, the architecture is primarily from the 16th century, due to a fire that swept through this high ground in 1514. It remains a place with its roots in the past, as stall vendors still dress up in medieval garb for Carnival.

Access to the Rialto Market is gained via an alley that branches off of the Rialto Bridge and runs behind the Palazzo dei Camerlenghi. Although the market may look chaotic at first glance, it is in fact very orderly, laid out according to the type of produce. For instance, directly behind the Palazzo dei Camerlenghi is a small square which is where the butchers may be found. At the end of the square the fruit stand shown in the photo to the left demarcates the boundary between the butchers and the fruit and vegetable stalls. The covered area in the photo at the top of the page shows the entire area. A treat for the senses, with artistic piles of peaches, cherries, thorny artichokes and red chicory from Treviso. Fruit and vegetables (as well as fish) tend to be seasonal. It is widely regarded as the finest market in Europe. The photo to the right offers a close-up of the stall area and the produce.






Next to the fruits and vegetables lies my favorite market, the Pescheria or fish market. If the marine life can be caught and transported to Venice, you can bet that the pick of the fleet is to be found here. Octopus, eel, soft-shelled crab and shrimps of all variety are off-loaded from the Grand Canal six days a week, along with turbot, red snapper, dory fish, and tuna. Many of the great restaurants in Venice do not settle on their menu items before inspecting what is best at the Pescheria. But get there early--by midmorning everything is packed away. The photo to the right shows the double-storied Pescheria from a nearby canal bridge, while the photo on the right shows a second fish market, located directly behind the first.





Commerce and law have historically been intertwined, and this is no more apparent that at the Rialto Market. Between the Pescheria and the Rialto Bridge lie two of Venice's most important government offices. The Fabbriche Nuove (photo to the left) are the law courts whose 25 arches front the Grand Canal. It was designed in 1552 by Sansovino, and took three years to complete. Between the Rialto Bridge and the Fabbriche Nuove lies the Palazzo dei Camerlenghi (photo to the right). This lopsided 1525 palace once imprisoned debtors on the ground floor (good thing it was located on high ground) but the top floors were offices for the city treasures (the camerlenghi).





There is another unique feature of the Rialto Market, and that is its ferry. While the Rialto bridge is less than 100 meters away, there is a direct ferry across the Grand Canal from the Pescheria. It is called the traghetto ferry, and is only one of eight still in operation. Custom dictates that passengers should remain standing for the duration of the trip. The traghetto is shown in the photo to the right. While picture taking in front of the Palazzo dei Camerlenghi, I snapped this picture of a wedding party heading down the Grand Canal in a gondola. This is shown in the photo to the right.

Below is a 360-degree walkthrough of the Rialto Market. Try not to salivate!