Piazza delle erbe
BOLZANO AND ITS SURROUNDING AREAS
BREIF DESCRIPTION
Obstmarkt - fruit market in German - better known as Piazza delle Erbe in Bolzano, is a fascinating fruit and local produce market, in the heart of the historic centre.
Every Sunday, you can find stalls full of fresh bread, aromatic spices, colorful flowers and a vast selection of seasonal fruit and vegetables. From spring to winter, every time of year has its treasures to discover: from fragrant summer salads to sweet roasted chestnuts in autumn, to the engulfing warmth of a mulled wine during winter.
WHAT WE LOVE ABOUT THIS PLACE
Piazza delle Erbe boasts a rich history that traces its roots back to the 14th century, when it was known as "Oberer Platz". Today, in addition to the stalls, you can admire the suggestive Neptune Fountain and the historic Casa al Torchio.
Don't forget to look at the two stumbling blocks, a touching tribute to the victims of the Holocaust that add profound meaning to this square steeped in history and tradition.
THIS PLACE IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE
The history of Piazza delle Erbe is rich and ancient: even Goethe, on his trip to Italy in 1786, mentioned this lively food market.
Originally named "Oberer Platz" in the 14th century, it was renamed "Obzplatz" in 1487, showing an evolution of the name that did not derive directly from the fresh fruit. Already since 1437, a city law allowed the trade of poultry, fruit and eggs only in the Piazza delle Erbe, highlighting the central role it has always had in the commercial fabric of the city.
SPECIAL TIPS
On the façade of the neo-Gothic building on the corner with Via Museo, a plaque recalls that the ancient "Al Sole" hotel was located there, in which Johann Wofgang Goethe (1786 and 1790) the philosopher and German man of letters Johann Gottfried Herder (1788), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1769) and Emperor Joseph II (1783).
