Writing Assignment #3: Marketplaces

The market at Esquilino is a different breed than the morning market on the Campo de’ Fiori. I stepped out of the pleasantly warm late morning sun, through the doorway and into the covered marketplace. The colors were astounding! Bright reds, yellows, oranges, greens… bell peppers, tomatoes, Satsuma’s, lettuce, carrots, bananas… After pausing to take in the mosaic of produce, meats, and eager vendors, I entered the chaos. Wishing I had more money and a larger bag, I passed by the hoards of juicy fruits and vegetables, growing increasingly indignant with each stand. I recovered from my self pity long enough to notice the faces of the shop vendors, almost every one was Indian or Asian, mostly Indian. I saw very few Italians. This is different than what I’ve experienced at the market on the Campo, where most vendors are Italian with the exception of a couple of Asians.
Many of them called out to me, smiling and pointing toward their displays. I’m still incapable of comprehending most Italian vocabulary, even the catch-phrases used repeatedly in marketplaces. One particular stall caught my eye. The bell peppers were the deepest red I’d ever seen, and swollen to the size of a grape fruit. A small, smiley Indian man stood behind the pile of peppers. I decided that this would be a good time to test my new knowledge and speak some Italian.
“Bella!” I exclaimed, gesturing toward the peppers.
The man, overwhelmed by my ability to speak his language, responded “Grazie,” with a little giggle.
I proceeded to engage him in a stimulating conversation about his name, his country of origin, his age, and how long he’s lived in Italy. I learned that his name started with an “F” and ended with an “ish”, he came from Bangladesh, had been in Italy for six years, and was twenty six years old. At that point, I’d asked all the questions I know how to ask in Italian, and had to end the conversation.

While reflecting on my visit to the market at Esquilino, I compared it to my experiences at the Campo de’ Fiori market. Leaving the city center and entering a neighborhood on the border of the city was valuable and enlightening. The market on the Campo attracts mostly tourists and upper class Italians, and is nestled amidst quaint, successful restaurants and boutiques. Esquilino is in a dirtier, less affluent part of town and is frequented by a wider variety of people. The ethnic diversity in this neighborhood is an obvious change from the Campo de’ Fiori. The substantial Indian and Asian population in Esquilino is immediately noticeable, shops selling soy sauce or saris are everywhere. Despite their differences, however, both marketplaces are borderlands. The Campo de’ Fiori market, more than anything else, serves as a place of crossover between tourists and Italians. The Esquilino market serves as a borderland between Italians, immigrants, tourists, young people, older people… everyone. In my own experience of the two markets, I found Esquilino to be less intimidating and more stimulating. Once again, I found the immigrants to be more engaging and interactive than the Italian vendors.

It is interesting to consider which marketplace better represents the “Italians”. I have been referring to the immigrants and the Italians as two different groups, in order to specify native Italians. But the immigrants are Italians too. The two markets are a fairly accurate representation of the opposing views of Italy as “for the Italians” or as the multicultural and increasingly diverse nation that it’s becoming.