Mercato Albornoz (Mercato Coperto di Forlì)
Tucked just off Piazza Saffi inside a handsome early-20th-century covered hall, the Mercato Albornoz is where Forlì's cooks, chefs and food obsessives do their serious shopping. Stalls overflow with local Sangiovese salami, fresh piadina, hand-pulled pasta and wheels of Formaggio di Fossa aged in sandstone pits.
What to buy and taste
Head straight for the salumi counter at Macelleria Gaudenzi, where the proprietor will slice paper-thin prosciutto di mora romagnola — a heritage-breed ham you will not find outside this region. Pair it with a wedge of squacquerone, the runny, tangy fresh cheese that defines Romagnol breakfasts.
The fresh pasta vendors sell garganelli, strozzapreti and cappelletti by the tray. Buy a portion of cappelletti in brodo mix — the tiny meat-filled pasta cooked in capon broth is the region's true Sunday dish and far more authentic than any tortellini you'll find in tourist Bologna.
The piadina ritual
At least two stalls inside the market operate piadinerie, griddling the unleavened flatbread to order on a traditional testo (a flat terracotta or cast-iron disc). Order yours with squacquerone and rocket, or with Nutella and banana if you want to eat like a local teenager.
Piadina in Forlì is thinner and crisper than the Rimini version — a genuine intra-regional debate that locals take seriously. The market is the best place to taste the authentic Forlì style.
When to visit
The market is liveliest Tuesday to Saturday between 08:00 and 12:30. Arrive before 10:00 to beat the queues at the most popular stalls and to catch the freshest pasta deliveries.
On Saturday mornings an outdoor extension spills into the surrounding streets, adding seasonal fruit and vegetable vendors, flower stalls and the occasional antique dealer to the mix.
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