Rialto Food Markets

The Rialto Food Markets are working markets where Venetian homemakers and restaurant owners do their shopping six days a week.

There are two markets, both slightly to the north of the Rialto Bridge in the district of San Polo:

The Erberia sells fruit and vegetables, with wholesalers arriving early and retailers setting up their stalls by mid-morning. By noon, most of the action is over, so arrive early for shopping and discreet picture-taking.

Just beyond, in a building with arches that overlooks the Grand Canal, vendors in the Pescheria or fish market sell fish, octopus, squid, clams, and other aquatic edibles.

Tourists love the Pescheria (and the Erberia, for that matter), but before bellying up to the crushed-ice trough to take a snapshot, remember that the person you're elbowing out of the way may be a chef who's trying to buy the sardines or cuttlefish that you'll be eating for dinner.

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• Rialto Food Markets