From fresh produce to hand-made clothing, this is the inside scoop on Milan’s most popular flea markets!
5 min read · May 13, 2019
By: Nicolette Westphal, Isabel Putlak, and Brooklyn Martner
While Milan is known for its high-end, expensive, designer boutiques, there are quite a few flea markets where someone could find good bargains. Several flea markets are hidden within the streets and alleys of Milan. A few that are popular are Mercato Agricolo Il Buono in Tavola, Mercato di Via San Marco, and Viale Papiniano Mercado. A couple of other flea markets that are sacred to Milan are Fiera di Sinigallia and East Market. Within this guide you will find information on each market; where to go, what to look for, and how to shop in them.
First up we have Mercato di Via San Marco located within the first zone of Centro Storico near Brera. This market is open Monday’s and Thursday’s from 07:30 until 14:00. What’s great about this market is that it’s open year round and is a “rain or shine” kind of market. A secret that many do not know is that there are a bunch of “hidden gems” that can be found within this market. Here you could find real fur, cashmere, and high quality leather goods. Another thing about this market that people enjoy is that it is owned by the Milano locals; their goods are locally grown and their clothes are hand-made and unique to any other market. Within this market you will find a long street full of imported and local items such as, clothing, Italian leather, shoes, household goods, and more. The adjacent side has a big selection of local and imported seafoods, wines and poultry. They are also very known for fresh vegetables. Most of there vegetables are grown in the country areas of Italy and are brought up to Milan to be sold. Great find for all those culinary lovers out there! This is a market you definitely won’t want to miss out on!
The next market that will be discussed is Viale Papiniano Mercato. This market is open every Tuesday and Saturday from 07:30–14:00. It is very conveniently located at Via Papiniano, 20123, Milano. You can also find it on the west side of the city next to the train station. Here you will find a number of international stall holders selling their wares. A variety of vendors are allowed to sell their items at this flea market. At this location, they are known for their wide variety of food sold such as fruit, vegetables, fish and meat. There are also other items such as jewelry, clothing, household items and art. As you can see in the photo, there is a lot of different unique items being sold. An extra added tip would be to use the metro to get to this market, it is the most efficient way. Here you can find the link for the metro directions. This is for sure a market you want to check out!
Mercato Agricolo Il Buono in Tavola is a popular flea market located in front of the Basilica of Sant’Eustorgio. Their exact address is Piazza Sant’Eustorgio, 1, 20122 Milano MI. They are open every Tuesday beginning January 29th until the end of the year. They are open from 08:30–14:00. Each year they have multiple vendors who contribute to the market, such as FARM GEORGE MAGGI and FARM BIO GREENFANTASY. Almost every week the market has a guest of honor. For example, on March 26th the guest of honor was FARM THE BELLS Suardi, which is a flower vendor. The flea market has a wide variety of things to choose from, such as fresh produce, flowers, and wooden utensils for cooking. Also if you are in Milan during the winter, this market also has a wide variety of Christmas decorations and produce. This is definitely a flea market one will want to check out while in Milan!
“Everything old is new again” (East Market.com). East Market Milano is a very large flea market that is fun for shopping, selling, or trying tasty food with friends and family! It starts in early May and is located at Via Mecenate 84, Milano. It is a very unique market because everyone can buy, sell or swap any kind of stuff, all you need to do is send East Market Milano an email if you want to deal your belongings. You can find antiques, furniture, vintage, second hand, sneakers, vynil, curiosities, oddities and old collections. At East Market you can find a food market as well, which has all different kinds of food from all over the world. You can also find DJ sets that entertain while everyone is shopping around, making it a much more fun and laid back experience! If you have a taste for a food from another country, this market is the one for you.
The Sinigallia Market is an ancient flea market that is immersed in the Ticinese district and the Navigli district; It is the oldest market in Milan. This market stretches along the banks of Ripa di Porta Ticinese along the Alzaia del Naviglio Grande. It runs all the way from via Paoli to via Barsanti. La Fiera di Sinigallia is open every Saturday from 08:00 to 18:00. Here you can find a bunch of different, yet unique things; This is the hot spot if you’re a collector or market lover. Sometimes you can find old, vintage items that can be re-furbished or re-styled for a newer and better look. They also have accessories, ethnic , and tribal jewelry. If you can’t make it one month, don’t fret! This market is open year round, making it one of the most accessible and popular markets in Milan!
The locals we interviewed had a few suggestions regarding flea markets. They advised us to bring euro to the markets, since most vendors do not accept credit cards. They also suggested that we bring cloth bags to put our groceries in because vendors usually do not hand out plastic bags. Depending on the vendor, the locals also informed us that sometimes you can get the vendor to lower the cost by haggling with them. Be aware, many of the vendors at these flea markets do not speak much English. These are just a couple of tips to keep in mind when going to a flea market!
