Venice was once one of the most important commercial centres of Europe; the city never lacked goods coming from all over the world. For this reason, there was at least one local market in almost all of the neighbourhoods. Here, people could buy not only the necessities but also a wide range of other items, such as oriental spices, precious fabrics, perfumes, and even precious metals.
If you really want to know the habits and customs of a city then head to its markets where you can gain an appreciation of what locals eat and the kind of necessities that are required for life in the city.
However, the never-ending rise of tourism (as well as water levels) has meant that the local population of Venice has been dwindling. Although there has been a move towards convenience stores and supermarkets such as Co-op, local markets still exist for those in search of fresh produce and vegetables.
