Mercato del Porcellino

Right in the heart of the historic center you can find the Mercato del Porcellino (the piglet’s market), which just so happens to be one of the world’s oldest ongoing marketplaces. It stands in what used to be Florence's main market square. The covered portico with Renaissance-style arches is where modern banking was invented. Every day from 9:00 to 18:30 you can try your hand at haggling with the vendors who sell everything from souvenirs and various trinkets to leather goods, which steal the show. You should confidently bid on if they say made in Italy on them. A bronze statue of a wild boar serves as the symbol of the marketplace; feed the boar a coin and rub its nose for good luck.