More than 25 million visitors And over 1,500 events organized from 2014 to today despite Covid, few numbers to tell the story and evolution of the first ten years of Central Market. An adventure that started right from Florence Wednesday 23 April 2014a date dear to Umberto Montanopresident and founder.
An initiative that has given new life to first floor of the historian San Lorenzo covered market, a space of approximately 3,000 square meters that remained abandoned for a long time. Thanks to this project it has returned to being landmark for the city, managing to conquer Florentines, tourists and enthusiasts from all over the world. From an abandoned space to a place full of life, here are the numbers: over 1,000,000 espresso coffees864,000 daisies, 4,500,000 liters of beer, 648,000 lampredotto sandwiches.
The anniversary: ten years in ten months
“Good for 10 years” is the claim chosen to celebrate with ten months of events, appointments and projects that will accompany 2024 in all markets, which can be viewed on the dedicated website. An entire year that aims to broaden objectives, strengthen ties even further and look to the future with vision. Among the initiatives spread across the four markets in this year of celebrations, there will be two important moments in Florence.
“The Mercato Centrale project could only be born in Florence, a city that still today offers great contributions of innovation and knows how to place itself at the center of the most important current projects – he declares Umberto Montanopresident and founder of Mercato Centrale -. Sustainable by definition, the Market stimulates a new way of doing business, offers opportunities with shared responsibilities, moderates its earnings to the advantage of mutual convenience, opens avenues to young businesses that would otherwise be unthinkable, defines paths in full sharing with partners and accelerates a process of economic growth without exasperation… not just profits but quality profits. The Central Market, with its very large and not only young and multi-ethnic team on which it bases its daily life, spontaneously adheres to the main values of sustainability for the company”.
The cutting of the cake and the big party
On April 23rd from 6pm the 10 years of goodness will be celebrated with the music of the Ragazzi Scimmia and the cake cutting with the president of the Central Market, Umberto Montano.
To the great master of baking David Bedu, a craftsman who has followed Mercato Centrale since its beginnings, the task of making the party cake. A slice and a toast for everyone.
But the celebrations don’t end there, the 30 May there will be a big party, open to the whole city, to inaugurate the new one contemporary art installation and celebrate 10 years in the best possible way with music, performances and the goodness of the artisans.
Suspended Flow, new art installation
Faithful to its nature as a producer of culture – which over the years has given rise to a long series of collaborations with some of the protagonists of contemporary art including Daniel Buren, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Ai Weiwei, Marco Lodola, Ufo, Grazia Toderi and others – Central Market celebrates its anniversary with a new site-specific artistic project and does it where it all began.
From May 30th until the end of the year Mercato Centrale Firenze will host Suspended Flowan installation project signed by the artist Vincenzo Marseille with the curatorship of Davide Sarchioni. Surprising, fluid and interactive, the new work in Marseille will be composed of a series of light sculptures made of blown Murano glass.
Events with artisans
The Market, a living and dynamic container, makes of creativity and of passion of artisans the fundamental ingredients to create events and educational activities open to all. A synergistic work that combines their know-how with the knowledge of storytelling and involvement characteristic of the Market.
On the occasion of its anniversary, the Market will intensify the activities that will make them protagonists, with a schedule of events lasting ten months as well as celebrations. Scheduled masterclasses, show cooking, talks, tastings and workshops among the shops for a calendar that will be constantly updated.
Tags: Central Market Florence celebrating tenth anniversary
