Mercato di Piazza delle Erbe
Every Tuesday and Thursday morning, Piazza delle Erbe — the ancient 'herb square' tucked behind the Basilica Palladiana — fills with vendors selling seasonal Veneto produce, local cheeses, cured meats and street food. It is the most authentic slice of everyday Vicentino life you will find in the city centre.
What to Look for at the Stalls
In spring, look for white asparagus from nearby Bassano del Grappa — one of Italy's most prized vegetables, it appears on every restaurant menu and at market stalls from late March through May. Vendors will hand you a stalk to taste without being asked.
Autumn brings porcini mushrooms, radicchio di Verona and small, intensely flavoured local apples from the Berici Hills foothills. The cheese stalls stock aged Asiago in both its fresh (pressato) and sharp (d'allevo) forms — buy a wedge to take on a picnic up Monte Berico.
Eating and Drinking Around the Square
The bars ringing the piazza serve the Vicentino breakfast ritual: a small espresso and a brioche standing at the counter, ideally before 09:00 when the market is at its busiest and most photogenic.
For something more substantial, look for the baccalà alla vicentina sandwich vendors — salt cod slow-cooked in milk and onions, spooned onto grilled polenta, is the city's signature dish and market stalls do a fine casual version.
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