Porta Palazzo: A Feast For The Senses – by Zoe

Imagine a place where lemons shine like giant golden jewels, strawberries are so ripe that you can smell them before you can see them, and the red peppers are so shiny they look like they have been polished by hand.

Welcome to Porta Palazzo Market, the start of our second day of the trip.

Porta Palazzo in Turin is no ordinary market—it’s a riot of colours, scents, and sounds, an intoxicating blend of old-world charm and buzzing modern life. 

Originally established as a food market in the 1830s, Porta Palazzo has long been the heart of Turin’s working-class communities, a place where farmers, artisans, and merchants have gathered for generations.

As the largest open-air market in Europe, it sprawls across Piazza della Repubblica, a historic square that has been a hub of trade for generations. 

Today, it’s a chaotic theatre of commerce where locals and visitors alike weave through overflowing stalls. The air is filled with vendors shouting their deals in rapid-fire Italian. 

From seasonal Piedmontese delicacies to exotic spices, Porta Palazzo is a sensory feast where every step reveals something new—whether it’s the largest red peppers you’ve ever seen, enormous cow’s tongues and other exotic animal parts on the meat stalls, or the unmistakable scent of a cheese stall with its precious aged Parmigiano centrepiece. (At 10am we were grateful that the meat stall was not offering samples!) 

Andy was literally mesmerised by the cheeses, Zoe fell in love at the sight of proper tomatoes. Predictable? Probably. But when you love and appreciate great food and the produce is this good, it’s almost otherworldly. Life is too short for sad, insipid, watery tomatoes.

Many locals shun the supermarkets in favour of shopping here. Here, fur-clad older ladies search for the freshest fruit, couples debate wallpaper choices, and busy professionals squeeze in their shopping during lunch breaks.

But the magic of Porta Palazzo doesn’t stop at the outdoor market. Step inside Il Mercato Centrale, where tradition meets gourmet craftsmanship under one elegant roof. Under the vaulted ceilings, you can sample handmade pasta, sip a velvety espresso, or watch master chocolatiers at work. 

You only need to read the info on their website to understand that this place is serious about its food! The vendors are called artisans; inspiration is from culture, art, and the local area. There are 28 artisan workshops, classrooms and laboratories over three floors, with inviting dining and events spaces.

The market’s deep-rooted history is also reflected in its rich cultural diversity—walking through it is like taking a mini world tour where fragrant spices sit side-by-side with Italian staples. And hidden in the market’s basement, is an ancient ice storage area, a cool underworld where traders once kept goods long before modern refrigeration.

Today it’s a vibrant reminder of Turin’s long history of trade and migration, a true melting pot of colours, smells and cultures. A must-see for any foodie. We were like two kids in the biggest ever sweet shop!

We left with happy hearts and senses full of flavour, because some places don’t just sell food, they tell stories.

Follow us on instagram @a2z.wander