PORTA PORTESE market is situated on Via Portuense (along the street) which is closed for the cars on Sunday morning, when the market is there. It's a good idea to get there by walk coming from P.zza Sonnino (Trastevere) as it could be the occasion to have a walk among houses from the Middle Age there in this part of Trastevere where those still survive. From P.zza Sonnino take Via della Lungaretta Via dell'Arco dei Tolomei (3rd right) Via dei Salumi (1st left) Vicolo dell'Atleta (1st right), you'll find here on your right hand side the remains of the Ancient Synagogue Via dei Genovesi (1st left) Via S.Cecilia (1st right) at P.zza S.Cecilia have a look of the Church of S. Cecilia; notice an ancient CANTARO', a cup used for libations, which is locatsd in the middle of the fountain Via di S.Michele (straight) P.ta Portese. 1.

The name Porta Portese is today linked to the area in front of the ancient gateway where Rome's most famous market is held each Sunday.
The market offers clothes, books and second-hand items of every imaginable type. In fact, Porta Portese was the name of the gateway built on the orders of Pope Urban VIII but only finished during the pontificate of Innocent X. It was built on the site of the more ancient Porta Portuense from which it has derived its (vulgarized) modern name.

The position of the ancient gate made it enormously important as it governed the trading traffic between Rome and its port (Ostia) but, unfortunately, it was demolished and we only know of its appearance from drawings.
Be extremely careful for pickpockets, especially after 10am, the peak time of the Porta Portese flea market. Like most streets in the ancient part of Rome, the ones in Trastevere are extremely narrow and you will be forced to shuffle rather than walk through the crowds: a paradise for pickpockets and gypsies.

This varied Flea Market the largest in Europe, began after World War II with black marketers. Choose from an enormous selection of articles including World War II cameras, foreign items, leather goods, and much more!

Officially the Porta Portese flea market starts at 5am every Sunday morning and continues till more or less 2pm, but in reality many stalls start packing up 1 or 2 hours earlier than that, especially when it rains or during the hot Rome summer months when the Romans abandon the Eternal City in droves.

OPEN: Porta Portese is only open Sunday mornings, sunrise to 1.30 pm.

HOW TO GET THERE: Termini bus 64 to Largo Argentina and tram 8 to Piazza Ippolito Nievo from the Vatican bus 23 leaves Piazza Risorgimento, get off at Piazza G.Belli then catch tram8.