Yes, that is a sweathshirt from Maui, yes that is a sweater made of Merino wool, and yes, the zipper on those pants only works 60% of the time all the time.
Did you know that Rick Ross has a chain of himself wearing a chain? Did you know that Mitt Romney tried to make a casual $10,000 bet in the middle of a political debate? Did you know that the Eclipse, Roman Abramovich’s €340 million (and counting) yacht, is equipped with a guided-missile defense system? Did you know that the author of this post bought all the incredible items pictured to your left for €25 total!?
Yes, dear readers, all of this is possible and more at the Via Sannio outdoor market! It is truly a place you can shop until you stop, because, well, you really didn’t have that much money to spend in the first place. Who needs hot tubs and heli-pads when you can have a whole new outfit for 1/1,000,000 of the price?
The famous Sunday market at Porta Portese may be the mega-yacht of used-good markets in Rome, but the market at Via Sannio is the tugboat. It is much smaller than its cousin by the Tiber but it puts in the dirty work, as it is open every day except Sundays. Because of its moderate size, the market can be navigated in an easy, but thorough, 30-45 minutes. The wares of the Via Sannio market range from €1 heaps of clothes, to authentic cashmere sweaters, to high-end leather and fur (note: fur purchases frowned upon by author), although stalls selling used trinkets are less common. Buyer beware, however: the men who own the stalls of new, “designer,” clothing at the market’s entrances are extremely touchy and aggressive.
Where is this glorious garden of goods, where the mere pauper plays the prince? The market lies an easy walk from the San Giovanni metro stop (Linea A) and the area surrounding San Giovanni in Laterano (accessible by many buses, such as the 714, 650, 87, 85, 81, 16, etc.). Here it is on Google Maps.
You may never be able to buy a diamond chain of yourself wearing a yacht armed with guided missiles, but you can bet your bottom dollar (see what I did there?) you can find some incredible bargains in the friendly confines of Via Sannio. If you see a pale dude shamelessly trying on €1 sweaters, that’s probably me. Come say “Hi”!
3 comments
I got my first Italian purse at that market. Back when it was still lira and it felt like everything you bought was with Monopoly money. Great place for finding bargains and cool stuff.
Hey Michael,
Those products are all fake and they last quite short. They are a low quality. Certain, you can find anything, but for bad quality. Living in San Giovanni for years I show the other face of the medal. Each week passes police and seized a lot of merchandise to both Moroccan and Italian sellers. The places where they sell all the goods are shacks built abusively. Certain it is a kind of bazaar, but it is very likely to be indirectly managed by criminal groups. Of course it varies from merchant to merchant. But it is important to beware of the goods purchased. With this, pleasant stay in Rome, Michael!
Thanks for the heads up, Emanuele! Indeed, the stalls on the outside of the Via Sannio market and those that line the entrances (of the fake Gucci bags, DG sunglasses, etc.) are not to be trusted. But inside, the stalls where they are selling used clothing are legitimate, correct? These people are not pretending their merchandise is something it isn’t.