City of Rome Closes the Farmer’s Market Near Circo Massimo

street sign or via di s teodoro roma

UPDATE October 2017: The market has reopened

I ran into Elizabeth at Mordi e Vai this weekend, which is always a pleasure.

However, when I heard why she was in Testaccio, I felt her pain.

Mercato di Campagna Amica del Circo Massimo had closed suddenly.

There are many fresh markets in Rome, but the Mercato di Campagna Amica is one of the only true farmer’s markets, where the producers themselves sell their own food.

It is a beautiful market that I have mentioned before and have meaning to write about, but will now never get the chance because it has been closed by Mayor Virginia Raggi.

Let me tell you: people are NOT happy about this.

It has been open on a side street off of Circo Massimo (Via di San Teodoro) since 2009.  It has always been given a temporary permit, though a permanent permission to remain on Saturdays and Sundays was being sought when the market was closed with literally no warning this week.

It is one of the most beloved Zero KM (local) markets in the city. The produce is outstanding, the cheese is amazing, the butchers and fish sellers are of the best quality, the herbs flourish, and I would not buy my new olive oil any where else.

In a few short years, the market has become an institution. That the Raggi government would close it is unacceptable. And it is not the only market under attack. The Garbatella market also faces closure (though for other reasons).

There are tentative plans to relocate the market, but the producers who sell their food here should not be made to wait inevitably.

Please join me in signing the online petition. 

Even better if you can sign the petition to reopen the farmer’s market in person this morning at Largo Argentina.

It is critical to support local foods and local jobs.

There will be other opportunities which I will also try to share because food markets, and this farmer’s market in particular, are a vital piece of Rome. It is not a city that can or should be dictated by supermarket chains.

More information on the history that led to this lockdown (hat tip: Alex) is available here in Italian.

Update: The market will reopen Sunday 19 February from 10 – 5 pm at Auditorium Parco della Musica  in Via Pietro de Coubertin, 30 (which, for the record, is nowhere near its original location).

 

8 thoughts on “City of Rome Closes the Farmer’s Market Near Circo Massimo

  1. AMZ says:

    I do not want to disturb or annoy anybody but only to inform: it seemms that this market has been assigned without public discussion of different projects. I mean It has been assigned by a Major with a lot of legal problems to a group without any public competition. It´s sad but a city with a lot of corruption problems is losing a nice market with the hope of having another one as nice as that one but much more legaly clean.

  2. Anna A Lamy says:

    Hi Natalie,

    First of all, thank you for writing your blog,- it’s absolutelly brilliant and I use it as a guide-book to Rome.
    Second, the market is re-opened now at the same spot in via San Teodoro.

    Sincerely,

    Anna

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