Piazza del Mercato

Piazza del Mercato, formally Piazza Cavour, is La Spezia's covered food-market square. Its wave-shaped canopy shelters a market long associated with the city centre, while Corso Cavour and nearby streets preserve layers of the city's nineteenth-century expansion.

Why it matters

The square belongs to the urban growth that followed construction of La Spezia's naval arsenal in the second half of the nineteenth century. As the city expanded beyond its medieval centre, Corso Cavour became a principal street and Piazza del Mercato developed as a place for everyday trade. Its familiar local name reflects that role.

What to notice

The present canopy, shaped like a wave, replaced two earlier Liberty-style market pavilions after a redesign in the 1990s. Produce associated with the square includes anchovies from the gulf, cheeses from Val di Vara and local mussels known as muscoli spezzini. Along Corso Cavour, Liberty-era buildings with painted and mosaic decoration provide an architectural contrast to the market's modern roof.

Context and history

La Spezia's growth as a naval city transformed the former fishing town and extended its street grid inland from the harbour. The market square became a trading centre at the end of Corso Cavour. Two Liberty-style pavilions preceded the current structure, which emerged from a 1990s design competition and reorganised the market beneath a single wave-inspired canopy.