Market at Via Sannio
Cheap and Shop

by Mary King

High streets in Europe can look spookily similar whichever city you’re in. All the more reason, therefore, to check out those places that still provide a unique and colourful shopping experience. The market at via Sannio (San Giovanni), is undoubtedly one of these. With a desperate need for summer clothes and a limited budget, I set off to explore what the market had to offer on a sunny morning midweek.

A rough collection of stalls roofed over in plastic, this rabbit-warren of a market is a Roman institution, having huddled next to the Aurelian wall for at least 50 years, the stunning white marble basilica of San Giovanni towering overhead. There is an overspill of stalls lining the street outside, generally aiming more at the tourist market with jewellery and fake designer sunglasses.

To enter the more authentic core of the market you need to leave the street for the murky, low-ceilinged covered section. Ducking off the beaten track isn’t completely without its down-points and I was reminded of why it can be easier to stick with the anonymity of the high street – as I entered the market I attracted the attention of a group of young Italians whose chat quickly became creepy and intrusive...I managed to extricate myself and move on, but it reminded me that markets can be intimidating, especially for a foreigner. The downside to the chatty atmosphere is that it’s impossible to blend into the background.

However, the market’s incredible variety of clothing is worth it. Ranging from hippy-style dresses from Nepal, to knock-off Dolce & Gabbana, to army surplus goods, to jumble-sale style tables of cast-offs, to ancient wedding dresses, to shoes, there’s generally anything you might need style-wise, with fur and leather a specialty.
Prices are undoubtedly lower than the high street (a friend of mine snapped up some 1 euro jeans) but you have to be prepared to put up with small inconveniences – trying on clothes crouched in the back of a van can be cramped and nerve-wracking! Stall holders range from the over-friendly to the old Roman men so engrossed in their conversation that I felt guilty for interrupting! You can find original, interesting clothes and prices are negotiable.

Shoppers tend to be locals with a sizeable minority of tourists, while the stallholders range from Roman families to recent arrivals from Senegal, Morocco and Bangladesh. The atmosphere is friendly and everyone was happy to talk to me, but every single seller I spoke to agreed that the credit crisis is having a big impact on profits. “Peggio” (worse) was the first word from everybody’s lips when I asked how things had changed.
Carla, a local woman who’s sold leather goods at the market for 50 years told me that while she is proud of the family business, times are tight and profits are falling. Leaning back in her folding chair, she said that her own children, who worked at the market with her when they were younger, have now left for different jobs.

Hakim, an Algerian with an army surplus stall selling khakis, boots, belts and scary-looking gas masks told me that in the 20 years he’s worked there, he’s seen more women take over stalls and the crowd has generally got younger. A sunny character, he told me he’s very happy at the market but that he’s noticed the recession too. “Tourists look around but they don’t buy anything.”
I came away with a skirt and dress from India, sold to me by a young Bangladeshi guy who gave me a substantial discount from his original price because I seemed like “a nice girl”. What’s more, I had a thoroughly enjoyable morning which felt like a real slice of Roman life.