This beautifully restored structure in Florence once held a fish market.
Just beside it, to the right, you can see the ramshackle remains of the Ciompi markets, a paradise for those looking for just the right piece of vintage or antique furnishing for their home.
Photos sourced from allafiorentina.com/florence/piazza-dei-ciompi-flea-market/#.VwxUB-Rf3IU
Take it from me, I gave a little squee of happiness to see this porticoed place free of the scaffolding and screening that was there a year ago.
Jane, if you’re reading this, here are some family crests, just for you.
The Ciompi flea market has now been relocated to an area near the Sant’ Ambrogio markets. It just doesn’t seem the same somehow, with all of the rather sterile, uniform white tents. Oh, progress.
Hello World 
One day I would really love to visit florence!
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It’s another wonderful place to go in Italy. That country has cornered the market on beauty and interest!
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Designed by vasari around 1550 it was moved here in the 19th century when they built piazza della Repubblica.
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I agree I preferred the old location
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Isn’t it funny, those little white tents ought to be an improvement, but they silence the individuality of the older structures.
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In the old environment, you always felt you were on the verge of discovering some long lost Caravaggio, that feeling has dimmed.
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It’s very gorgeous, as are the family crests. I think the building could be used for most any market. Cheese or meat or flowers or veg. Thanks for showing it to us. Do you know whose crest and what it means?
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I was doing some research about it, and found that it was from the Medieval era, and originally sited in the Piazza della Repubblica. At some stage, it was moved.
The crests with the balls belong to the Medicis, I don’t know about the other.
http://italian.about.com/library/weekly/aa091599a.htm
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The Crest with Medici balls and a checkerboard on right is that of Cosimo I and his wife Eleanor of Toledo.
The Crest with Medici balls and red,white,red on the right is the second Duke, Francesco I (Medici) and his wife Joanne of Austria.
The third is going to need help from your other stemma friend. I would love to know!
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Hi, Jane, and thank you for that. I wish I had taken photos of every one of the many crests on the loggia.
My go-between to contact the stemma expert is on the Cammino in Spain, so he won’t see this for a while.
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Grascia Magistrate, who supervised the sale of staple food in Florence.
Yvonne….I stumbles on the third crest it is that of the “Grascia”
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Ta-da!!!
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I can’t seem to reply to your last comment about it being a council/magistrate. That makes sense, and when you look at the incised marble plaque, there are animal heads to be seen. And, I think the original site of the fish market would have been in the midst of vendors of all sorts of foodstuffs, no doubt regulated by some form of council.
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Thanks. I’ve never learned about crests and they do carry quite a bit of history and symbolism.
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Jane has identified the 3rd crest as belonging to the Grascia family.
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Actually I was thinking maybe some kind of council or magistrate rather than family? You have fish,meat ,and grain on that stemma…..would they be considered staples?
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OMG soooo beautiful.
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Of course you were a fish market Yvonne. I expected nothing less. BTW what are you today ? 😉 😀 ❤
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Today I am undecided, Ralph. 🙂 ❤ to you.
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Decisions, decisions ! 😀 ❤
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It’s nice to see such a pretty building beautifully restored. Hopefully it will last a lot longer now.
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Yes, generations of people will be able to admire it again, et.
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Tell mke if you’re coming to Melbourne and I’ll show you our markets.
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Your markets are great! It’s a deal, and the coffee (or whatever) is on me, John.
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Another fascinating tour
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And now, it’s making me want to go back. It never ends, does it?
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Looks fabulous. Someone has spent a lot of money on the restoration. A pity about the relocation of the flea market!
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The flea market looks so sterile now. Maybe after a few years, it will be more lived-in and interesting.
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I like the background!
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Thank you, that was a rainy morning in Venice.
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Its a beautiful building Yvonne. I have to say Bun gets points for the centipede description. 🙂
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I can’t shake that image, Sue!
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Fabulous building – fabulous Firenze! Almost my favourite place in the whole world!
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Isn’t it a wonderful city, there’s always something new to discover, Contented One. (Did you get the earth tremor that Bruce felt earlier today?)
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No, not felt here – but then I didn’t publish a story about some horrendous, mysterious event ….. 😀
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And, please don’t! 🙂
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What a gorgeous building. Such a strange but interesting shape.
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I was so happy and surprised to see it unveiled. It’s a beauty, for sure, long legged one.
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What a gorgeous structure! Maybe they needed the height to accommodate flying fish. I was prepared for a whole other kind of post when I read your title, Yvonne, but I’m glad you didn’t there. “Once I was a fish market,” sounds like a good title for a song…..
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Your theory meshes so well with that of BA, you’re like a comedy tag team.
All afternoon I’ll be humming:
“If I was a fish market
Yubby dibby dibby dibby dibby dibby dum”.
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Thanks for a great guffaw!
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It looks to be a wonderful building. But it needs to still be a fish market – and it would be the best fish market in the world.
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People were unsure what it would be used for, but not a fish market, unfortunately. I wonder why it was made so tall?
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It was a tall building to match the tall fish stories being told…
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Aha, by George, I think you’ve got it, BA.
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Oh Yvonne, you are really back! So relieved that you missed us! A cog in the wheel of our lives…..(I was traveling and missed the last round)! Thanks for thinking of me. I am planning on being in Florence in mid-June after a conference of my husbands. So glad to be getting a preview of whats new!!!
Who is going to get to set up under the arches? Also seems funny that the fish market is so far from the Arno, Where were the fish coming from I wonder?
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So many questions, no answes coming from me, Jane.
Oh boy, you must be so happy to be getting back to Florence.
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It’s an oddly beautiful building. It reminds me of a centipede wearing stilts. 🙂
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I love your description, Bun. It does look out of proportion, doesn’t it? Maybe the vendors were exceptionally tall?
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Could be. 🙂
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