The Tuesday market in Canelli

The market in Canelli , established in the 60s, takes place in the heart of the city on Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.; it has an average of  80 stands which drop down to about 60 on Friday mornings.

The adjacent areas dedicated to the market are: Piazza Carlo Gancia, Piazza Alessandro Zoppa and the tree-lined street in the middle that opens onto  Piazza Camillo Benso di Cavour

Parking in the city, particularly for tourists and outsiders, is not easy but with a little luck one can park their car along the nearby Viale Risorgimento.

It’s unfortunately not as picturesque as the Dogliani or the Bra markets: unbridled construction has affected this area by deleting any local typicality.

The beehive products stand

Everything in three adjacent piazzas

The ample parking lot in Piazza Gancia hosts clothing, leather and shoes, jewellery and household items stands.

Agriculture machinery, once present, has disappeared and now only Piero, native of Santo Stefano Belbo, is left with his van. For years he’s been going to the Asti and Cuneo markets selling numerous do-it-yourself and gardening tools.

Instead, in the nearby Piazza Zoppa, you’ll find food producers and merchants: local cheeses such as different types of Bra, Tenero and Duro, Robiola from Roccaverano and Langhe cheese. There’s also a few flower and seeds stands and a beekeeper’s products from Canelli.

The fish stand, owned by Martino from Nizza Monferrato, sells all types of fish: Italian and foreign, preserved and fresh.

There’s a vast choice including: tuna, cod, swordfish, sea bream, clams, octopus etc. And you can place orders that can be collected either on site or in other markets.

So here’s the Canelli market, nothing more, nothing less.

Garden products at the Canelli market

A walk through the market and then…

Canelli is the capital of sparkling wine and a quick stroll among this market’s stands is well matched with more interesting activities.

An unforgettable experience for those traveling in Monferrato Asti, is a visit to the spectacular Cattedrali Sotterranee (Underground Cathedrals) which form part of the Unesco project.

Underground, more than twenty kilometers long, over thirty meters deep and at a constant temperature of 15° we find the winding tunnels of the cellars of producers and historic brands that have made and continue to make the Moscato history.

A traditional costumed feast is held every year on the third Saturday and Sunday of June, to commemorate the siege of Canelli in 1613, while in September, Canelli become the “City of Wine“, with guided tastings, nights of sounds and flavors, stalls and traditional markets, concerts, meetings and many surprises.

The Antique San Martino Fair, mentioned in the Medieval Canelli Statutes is held in the context of the local Truffle Fair in November. The event brings together over one hundred stands offering various kinds of goods.

Photo Credits: Federico Carpino, Alessandro