Where Abruzzo Comes Alive: Saturday Morning at the Sulmona Market

There’s a particular kind of magic to a Saturday morning in Sulmona, especially on a bright October day when the air is crisp, the mountains are watching over the town, and the market is in full swing. I spent the morning wandering from vendor to vendor, and what stayed with me wasn’t just the produce, the cheeses, or the bustle. It was the people. The friendly back-and-forth between vendors and customers, the neighbors stopping to catch up, the sense that this market is as much about connection as it is about shopping. And then there’s Anna. She’s been selling at this market for more than 40 years, and the moment you meet her, you understand why people keep coming back. Her smile lights up everyone around her, and her laugh is the kind that’s impossible not to join. Four decades in the same place, and she still greets every person like they’re the best part of her morning. I also had the pleasure of spending time with Sergio from Pratola Peligna, one of the most charismatic people you’ll ever meet. Within a few minutes, you feel like you’ve known him for years. For me, this market is personal. As a boy, I came here on Wednesdays and Saturdays with my Nonna Marianicola, holding her hand as she went from one vendor to the next. Walking these same streets today, hearing the same voices and the same dialect, I felt the years fold in on themselves. This is the Abruzzo I love: warm, generous, unhurried, and full of people who make you feel at home. Have you ever been to the Sulmona market? Tell me your memories in the comments. 👇 #Sulmona #Abruzzo #AbruzzoUnscripted #ItalianMarket #VallePeligna