Campo dei Fiori, Rome

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This little Medieval courtyard of higglety-pigglety flats, cafes and inns was once a flower-sprigged meadow; the possible source of its name. Paved in the 1400’s, it became a lively meeting place and business center for tradesmen who had shops on adjoining streets, and aristocrats who built palaces and expensive homes along Via Giulia and other prestigious avenues nearby. An etching of the square done in 1752 illustrates the horse markets once held twice a week, and a public gallows used to punish minor criminals by dangling them high above the ground with a rope and pulley. Major offenders met a far worse fate here: see the large hooded figure watching pensively from his perch in the center? That’s philosopher Giordano Bruno - who was condemned by the church for heresy in 1600 and burnt near the spot where his memorial stands.

I wouldn't look too happy either.

Fortunately, the only roasting going on here today is of pork or chicken served up by canopy-shaded trattorias, and a bustling fish and produce market carries on a six-day-a-week tradition that reaches back to 1858. A putter through to admire the bouquets, colorful fruits and vegetables, spices and other goodies for the table is a must, and I highly recommend grabbing a piazza-side table for a cappuccino and some people watching.

http://www.060608.it/en/cultura-e-svago/beni-culturali/beni-architettonici-e-storici/piazza-campo-de-fiori.html

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This is a good place to people watch and see the locals go about their business - buying produce from the busy market. There are many bars/restaurants surrounding the area - an excellent spot for a leisurely lunch whilst you watch the world go by. The smells, the colours and the general hustle and bustle of the place is to me part of the appeal of a city break - not just ticking boxes of all the major sites you have seen, but also an opportunity to take in the atmosphere of a place.

This is a great place to sit down and have a beer to watch the passing parade of people. Be careful buying from the market - buy 4 things and it is automatically 16 euro. The pasta is no different - 7 euro for half the amount in a supermarket. They are trying to take tourists for a ride. The exception is the bakery - Awesome baked goods for low prices. In summary, go here for the bakery and atmosphere. Avoid buying from the market as they rip you off.

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Campo de' Fiori is a large local feeling square in the heart of Rome.

It is ringed by cafes and bars and is home to a fabulous flower and vegie market in the mornings, and is a happening place for nightlife in the evenings.

There are also some good clothing stores on the roads that lead into the square.

Yet another fabulous place to pull up a chair, order an espresso or vino and do some serious people watching/meeting....depending on how many of those vino's you've had!!

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The Campo Di Fiori is an exciting and historic spot in Rome. It has a very good open air market during the morning hours. In the evening it changes to an exciting spot with nice restaurants and night life.

It is a great place to pick up items for a picnic. Or get some flowers for your room. It really adds a touch of class to any hotel room. if you are staying in a family run place the owners find some flowers a welcome gift.

In any case try not to miss this nice spot.

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At the heart of Campo de' Fiori is a small square which is also an open-air market, Rome's most picturesque market and its most historical, according to my Eyewitness Travel Guide. This place has been a market for many centuries. Every morning, except on Sundays, can be found an array of stalls selling fruit, vegetables, cheese and cured meat, and whatnot (clothes, kitchen utensils), and dried fruits and beans.

It was a Saturday when we went, and the place was humming busy. Not as big, as varied, and as busy as I expected for a Saturday, still there was a lively crowd, a lot were tourists. The vegetable stalls were the most interesting. There were bushels of fresh greens which one can pick from and combine together for a salad mix -- a make-your- own mix. The stall selling decorative squash was also interesting, the shapes, colours, and textures of the squash were on their own pieces of art. I was intrigued by the different types of tomatoes and small aubergines. I was expecting more kinds of fresh mushrooms being sold at this time of the year, but only saw two types. There were a few stalls selling sauces for pasta, and different kinds of paté -- the latter could be sampled. These same stalls sold dried tomatoes, capers, and pasta as well. I was looking for stalls selling meat and cheeses, but found only one but selling only a few varieties. In the end, I opted for about 200 grams of capers, which cost me about 5 euros.

Overall, I was happy to have visited this market, as it is widely known but I was left quite underwhelmed. Somehow, it seemed touristy and a little artificial, hearing all these young men shouting their wares in english -- i probably would have to go to a small town or village market in a far-off region to have a feel of what is still very traditionally Italian.

The market is easy to find. The best way is to get off at Largo Argentina, where most public transport which goes in this area make a stop. This is the corner where the Area Sacra dell' Argentina is, a small complex of ruins right along the main street. From there it is less than 10 minutes' walk to the market. Just follow the Via Arenula, and on the 3rd corner, at Via Del Guibbonari, turn right and go straight on. That is a small shoppping street which ends right on the market.

This is what the squares name translates as. Here every morning except Sunday you'll find a lively market. The square is full of stalls selling fruit & veg, meat, fish and household goods. Around the square are delicatessen and bread shops. At night the square is full of people enjoying the restaurants & bars.

In the centre of the square is a statue of the philospher Giordano Bruno, burnt at the stake here in 1600 for heresy. A reminder that the area once held executions.

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With its open air flower and vegetable market, along with the hustle and bustle of locals, Campo de' Fiori is easily the liveliest piazza in Rome. Its name derives from the field of flowers that it was in medieval times, rather than from the market, which only began in the 19th century. Walking through the amazingly fresh and delicious-looking produce in the market makes it easier to understand why food in Rome and Italy is better than anywhere else in the world. Campo de' Fiori is also a popular meeting spot for locals, particularly in the evening.

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Campo de Fiori is a square that I would have liked to have spent more time at. We walked through a couple times, always at night however. In the morning there is supposed to be a busy produce market held at the square. Unfortunately, we did not get a chance to peruse the market.

The statue of Giordano Bruno (priest and philosopher burnt at the stake) occupies the center of the square. At night the square is filled with sightseers and street performers (and also those protesting various causes).

The square is lined by restaurants and bars with outdoor seeting. We had a drink at a bar on the square, which was pretty expensive, but had free appetizers, which weren't very good.

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Campo dei Fiori (The Field of Flowers) is a very colorful piazza in Rome. During the morning hours, the piazza is full with vendors selling everything from fresh fruit and veggies to jewelry (Murano glass ones) and clothes. I could not believe how trashed the piazza looks after all the vendors are gone (mid day), but I have to give credit to the cleaning crew which takes care of the piazza and it makes it look spotless by the time evening comes.

There are plenty of good bars and restaurants around for a quick bite if you get hungry. Also, there are some really nice and different shops around the piazza.