Piazza Mercato is the beating heart of Domodossola, the most photographed and visited place in the entire city, a recognisable symbol of the whole Val d’Ossola.
Porticoes, loggias and noble coats of arms
The square is characterised by 15th-century porticoes supporting elegant houses with balconies and loggias built between the 15th and 16th centuries. The columns supporting the Romanesque and Gothic arches have finely carved capitals, while the façades still display the coats of arms of the great Ossola families, including De Rodis, Dalla Silva, Da Ponte and Ferrari.
A vanished town hall
In the centre of the square once stood the 14th-century town hall, demolished in 1805 following the opening of Napoleon’s Simplon Pass: an intervention that changed the appearance of the square forever, leaving the open space we know today.
A market that has lasted a thousand years
According to a plaque on Casa De Rodis, dated 1891, Domodossola was granted the right to hold a weekly market on 19 December 917 by Berengar I, King of Italy. Historical evidence suggests that the market tradition actually dates back to an even earlier period. That tradition continues to this day, every Saturday, attracting visitors from nearby Switzerland as well.
Piazza Mercato in the heart of Domodossola
The square is the ideal starting point for exploring Domodossola’s historic centre, not far from Sacro Monte Calvario. To learn more about its history, see the visitOssola page.
After a stroll beneath the porticoes, the vineyards surrounding Domodossola are just a few minutes away: an opportunity for a tasting.
A market held every Saturday
Every Saturday, from 10 am to 2 pm, Piazza Mercato fills with more than 170 stalls from across the region, offering a varied range of goods from food products to clothing. One section is entirely dedicated to local specialities: local and organic vegetables, honey, wine and, naturally, Ossola cheeses, including cured meats and cheeses from Montecrestese, Malesco and Valle Anzasca, as well as the renowned Bettelmatt, appreciated for its authentic flavour and unmistakable artisanal quality. A market which, with roots dating back to AD 917, continues to be the beating heart of city life.
An open-air living room
Beyond its commercial function, Piazza Mercato has always also served as the city’s living room: beneath its porticoes are historic bars and venues, meeting places for residents and visitors in every season, while on summer evenings the square comes alive with cultural initiatives and events that confirm its role as the beating heart of Domodossola’s social life.
A heritage to be experienced through participation
The best way to truly appreciate Piazza Mercato is to take an active part in it on Saturday morning, mingling among the stalls and local vendors: an experience that allows visitors to grasp the square’s authentic soul, very different from that perceived by those who merely pass through it on other days of the week.
One final note: the square continues to host special events too, from Christmas markets to summer cultural events, confirming its vocation as a lively public space all year round.
A thousand years of market, a heart still beating strong.
Porticoes, history and market: the beating heart of Domodossola.
Saturday after Saturday, the square continues to thrive.
One final note: the continuity of more than a thousand years of weekly markets is an intangible heritage as precious as the buildings surrounding the square itself.
An age-old market, a heart still beating strong.
An age-old market, the beating heart of the city.
Piazza Mercato continues to be the beating heart of Domodossola, a meeting place and market since centuries past, and the ideal starting point for those who wish to explore the rest of the old town on foot.
