The Forte dei Marmi market: history, days and opening hours of Italy's most beautiful market

9 October 2026 · 4 min read

Banchi e visitatori al mercato di Forte dei Marmi in Piazza Marconi

Every Wednesday morning, in the shade of the pines of Piazza Marconi, Forte dei Marmi fills with stalls, colours and people from all over Tuscany and Northern Italy. Many consider the Forte market the most beautiful market in Italy: for over fifty years it has combined a stroll by the sea with the hunt for the perfect piece. To understand why it is so special, though, we have to go back much further, to the marble that gave the town its name.

A town born from marble

The name Forte dei Marmi tells its own story: the forte is the little fort in the centre of town, and the marmi are the marbles of the Apuan Alps that were shipped from here. In 1515 the Medici acquired the quarries in the mountains behind the coast, opened new ones and built a road down to the sea, with a pier for loading the blocks.

The Fortino was built between 1782 and 1788 at the behest of Grand Duke Peter Leopold of Lorraine; once finished in 1788, the square beside it also became the depot for marble waiting to be loaded onto ships. As late as the 1930s the beach was still dotted with white blocks, as the photo below shows.

Marble blocks on the beach at Forte dei Marmi in 1931, with the Apuan Alps in the background — Marble blocks on the beach waiting to be shipped, 1931. Photo: Leo Wehrli, CC BY-SA 4.0.

From marble depot to holiday resort

On 26 April 1914 Forte dei Marmi became an independent municipality. From the late 1920s the town began to turn into the holiday destination we know today: aristocratic and industrial families, starting with the Agnellis, chose its villas among the pines and its tidy beaches. By the 1950s the seafront avenue, with its beach clubs and palm trees, was already the heart of the Versilia summer.

1954 postcard of Viale di Ponente in Forte dei Marmi — Viale di Ponente on a 1954 postcard. Photo: unknown author, CC BY 3.0.

The Wednesday market in Piazza Marconi

It was in this town, elegant and simple at the same time, that the weekly market was born more than fifty years ago. From the start it was conceived differently from traditional markets: fewer cheap bargains, more quality, craftsmanship and pieces you won't find anywhere else. The stalls form a ring in the large square surrounded by pines, a stone's throw from the Fortino: today there are more than two hundred.

Between the stalls you'll find everything, but with a common thread: care for materials. Cashmere and knitwear, leather goods, shoes, linen for the home, swimwear, ceramics, costume jewellery and local food. For many, Wednesday in Forte is a little ritual: you arrive by bike, stroll around the stalls and greet people you have known for years.

Stalls and visitors at the Forte dei Marmi market in Piazza Marconi — The market in Piazza Marconi, summer 2021. Photo: Bramfab, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Forte dei Marmi market days and opening hours

Wednesday All year round: Piazza Marconi, from 8:00 to 13:30.
Sunday From Easter to the end of October: Piazza Marconi, from 8:00 to 13:30.
Fridays in summer Market in Vittoria Apuana.
Once a month Antiques market in Piazza Dante.

Days and times may change during the year and on public holidays: before you go, it's worth checking the market calendar on the Forte dei Marmi town council website.

Forte's market traders around Italy

The market's fame has spread beyond Versilia. In 2002 some of the historic stalls joined together in the Forte dei Marmi market traders' consortium, which brings the market's style to squares all over Italy: a piece of Forte on the move.

Tips for enjoying the market

Arrive early: between 8 and 10 you can browse calmly and there's more choice.
Get around by bike, like the locals do: parking in the centre on a Wednesday is quite a challenge.
Feel the fabrics and ask: the traders know every piece, where it comes from and how it's made.
End with a walk on the pier, with the Apuan Alps behind you and the sea ahead.

The Forte dei Marmi pier with the Apuan Alps in the background — The pier, where marble was once loaded onto ships. Photo: Ingo Mehling, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Our story among the stalls

We at Le Righe are the third generation of market traders. It all began with our grandfather, who bought his first market pitch in Livorno; when he passed away in 1975, our father took his place. The Forte dei Marmi market came later: in the 1990s our mother sold antique curtains, porcelain and trunks here, until she ended up on a page of Vogue London.

Today we bring our own pieces to Forte, designed by us and handcrafted in Tuscany with fabrics chosen one by one. If you can't come to the stall, you'll find them all in our online shop.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Forte dei Marmi market on?

The main market is on Wednesday mornings, all year round, from 8:00 to 13:30. From Easter to the end of October there is also a Sunday morning market.

Where is the market?

In Piazza Marconi, in the centre of Forte dei Marmi, a few steps from the Fortino and the sea.

What can you buy at the Forte dei Marmi market?

It is famous above all for cashmere and knitwear, but there is also clothing, leather goods, shoes, swimwear, household linen, ceramics and local specialities.

Is the market open in winter too?

Yes: the Wednesday market is held all year round. The Sunday market, on the other hand, is seasonal.

Sources: Forte dei Marmi town council, VisitForte, Wikipedia (“Forte dei Marmi” entry).
Photos from Wikimedia Commons: Bramfab (CC BY-SA 4.0); Leo Wehrli (CC BY-SA 4.0); unknown author (CC BY 3.0); Ingo Mehling (CC BY-SA 4.0).