The Market in Maniago, Italy

Living in Italy completely captivated me and stole a piece of my heart. That sounds dramatic, but it still feels like we just left Maniago yesterday—I can’t really grasp the fact that it’s actually been three years since I last stepped foot on those cobblestone roads.

I was going through pictures on my computer and found these from right before we left our beautiful town. Honestly, I’ve known exactly what folder they’ve been in, but I couldn’t even bring myself to open the folder until now. It’s ironic that I took these right before we left Italy and that I’m posting them now, just days before we’re about to embark on our next journey.

Every single Monday, come rain or come shine, the market in Maniago, Italy, goes on without a hitch. We lived a stone’s throw away from the city center, so almost every Monday I was there to either get some food, pick up fresh flowers, watch as the RVs filled with cheese rolled in, or just wander around.

The market is where I learned and practiced my Italian; it’s what I loved about living and immersing myself in the culture. The vendors and the buyers were always patient as I stumbled with my words, and they were always helpful in trying to help me get the correct pronunciation.

If you ever live in another country I highly recommend stepping out of your comfort zone and opening your mouth at a market. People won’t bite. If you try to speak their language, you’ll not only adjust and acclimate faster, but the locals will appreciate your willingness to try.

Visiting the market every week and coming home with fresh, local veggies, and beautiful flowers was always a treat, but my favorite part was the cheese. Oh, the cheese. I still dream about the literal towers of cheese that they sold there.

I love that each town in Italy has its own market once a week. If I happened to miss the market in Maniago, I would hit up a market in a different town. They all had similar stalls; some had more and some had less. In Aviano, the town near the base, there was even an antique market once a month.

If you haven’t had enough of the Maniago market, I actually just found this quick video. The gelato shop at the end…ah…it made me immediately homesick seeing it there. I miss that place so much!

One of the things I’m looking forward to when we move to California is experiencing a great market again. There won’t be one practically steps away from my house, and I highly doubt I’ll be able to pop in for a quick cup of gelato on my way back home, but I’m hoping we can find some wonderful produce there.

Have you lived overseas? Did you get to experience a local market?