Under the Salone in Padua: eight centuries of gastronomic heritage

A UNESCO World Heritage Site for over twenty years, Padua is renowned for its remarkable artistic and cultural heritage: the Scrovegni Chapel, the Basilica of Saint Anthony, and its 300 other churches, the Prato della Valle (the largest in Europe), the Botanical Garden, and many other wonders. But its true heart beats elsewhere: in its central squares and markets. On either side of the majestic Palazzo della Ragione (whose great hall is adorned with frescoes by Giotto and other works that are well worth seeing) lie the Piazza delle Erbe and the Piazza della Frutta.

These squares owe their names to a very simple fact: every day, from morning to night, they are taken over by dozens of stalls overflowing with fresh produce. As the seasons change, you’ll find late-season radicchio, castraure, artichoke hearts, bruscandoli, carletti, and an endless variety of fruits and vegetables, all in the authentic atmosphere of an Italian market just the way we love it. And then there’s the epicenter of culinary delight: Il Salone, Europe’s oldest covered market. Beneath the Palazzo della Ragione itself, for the past eight hundred years, dozens of shops have been offering products of the highest quality every day. Not for the faint of heart: Padua is known for its tradition of horse meat butchery. Butchers such as Canton and Il Desco still offer ground horse meat, sauces, tartare, straeche, and other cuts of this meat.

And a tour of the boot is also all about cheese. Whether local or not, you’ll find it everywhere, especially at shops like La Bottega Veneta or Gastronomia Marcolin Marcolin. You can also discover other local specialties there, such as cod in cream sauce or cod alla vicentina, and the list goes on and on. In addition to the various stalls, there’s no shortage of small wine shops and bars where mortadella, porchetta, and other cured meats are hand-sliced on the spot—like at Bar degli Osei—and where you can find a variety of excellent sandwiches, such as those at Bar Nazionale. 

Don’t let that get you down: just a few meters from the Salone, still on these two squares, other hidden gems await you. You can’t miss La Folperia, a food truck set up almost every evening, famous for its seafood specialties (especially its boiled octopus served with a secret sauce), which have earned it the title of best street food in northern Italy for years. You’ll also find other stalls offering specialties from all over the region.

And if you still have a little room left, Piazza della Frutta is also home to Graziati, one of Italy’s oldest and best pastry shops (their mille-feuille is definitely a must-try). 

As if that weren't enough, these squares are surrounded by excellent trattorias. The list is long, but L'Anfora embodies the quintessence of a true Italian tavern, both in terms of atmosphere and the quality of its ingredients, which, of course, arrive fresh from the market every day.

In short, the Salone confirms one thing: the market is, above all else, the true heart of the city.