Il Mercato delle Vettovaglie celebrates 130 years of history

On April 3, the city of Livorno is preparing to relive one of the most significant moments in its history through a reenactment event of the inauguration of the Mercato Centrale or Market of Provisions that took place 130 years ago. The reenactment event will take place with the involvement of the city band that will accompany a historical procession composed of about forty figurants from the cultural association La Livornina. In this scenario with a dive into the past, citizens will be able to relive the exciting day of the Market opening that took place on March 1, 1894. The procession, to the sound of the city band, will start at 11:30 from via del Cardinale corner via Buontalenti, then continue towards the main entrance of via Buontalenti, then towards the intersection with via del Testa and will end its route at the main entrance on Scali Saffi. Around noon, the most moving moment of the event will take place: the architect and engineer Angiolo Badaloni, designer of the Market of Provisions, interpreted by one of the figurants of the cultural association La Livornina, in front of the entrance of Scali Saffi, will cut the symbolic ribbon and hand over the keys of the Market to the mayor Luca Salvetti, as in 1894 they were handed over to the then mayor, reliving the gesture of the Market inauguration. Meanwhile, a former State Archive official will hold a brief intervention explaining how the Market was realized. Once inside the Market, one can completely immerse in the real atmosphere of the time thanks to the presence of figurants dressed as peasants and noblewomen who will joyfully welcome the historical procession with Badaloni, offering a small refreshment buffet managed by the cultural association La Livornina. The reenactment event of the 130th anniversary of the Central Market will be attended, by invitation of the Consortium “Il Mercato delle Vettovaglie di Livorno,” by a representation of the Consortium of Operators of the Historical Central Market of San Lorenzo (Florence), to strengthen the collaboration already started, also in view of the joint participation of the two consortia in the international congregation of historical covered food markets worldwide, which will take place in Florence on April 4.