Did you know that American rapper Rick Ross has a chain of himself wearing a chain? Did you know that Mitt Romney tried to make a casual $10,000 bet in the middle of a political debate? Did you know that the Eclipse, Roman Abramovich's €340m (and counting) yacht, is equipped with a guided-missile defense system? Did you know that the author of this post bought all the incredible items pictured below for €25 total?
Yes, dear readers, all of this is possible and more at the Via Sannio outdoor market! It is truly a place you can shop until you stop, because, well, you really didn't have that much money to spend in the first place. Who needs hot tubs and heli-pads when you can have a whole new outfit for a millionth of the price?
The famous Sunday market at Porta Portese may be the mega-yacht of used-good markets in Rome, but the market at Via Sannio is the tugboat. It is much smaller than its cousin by the Tiber but it puts in the dirty work, as it is open every day except Sunday. Because of its moderate size, the market can be navigated in an easy, but thorough, 30-45 minutes. The wares of the Via Sannio market range from €1 heaps of clothes, to authentic cashmere sweaters, to high-end leather and fur (note: fur purchases frowned upon by author), although stalls selling used trinkets are less common. Buyer beware, however: the men who own the stalls of new "designer" clothing at the market's entrances are extremely touchy and aggressive.
Where is this glorious garden of goods, where the mere pauper plays the prince? The market lies an easy walk from the San Giovanni metro stop (Linea A) and the area surrounding San Giovanni in Laterano (accessible by many buses, such as the 714, 650, 87, 85, 81, 16, etc). Here it is on Google Maps.
You may never be able to buy a diamond chain of yourself wearing a yacht armed with guided missiles, but you can bet your bottom dollar (see what I did there?) you can find some incredible bargains in the friendly confines of Via Sannio. If you see a pale dude shamelessly trying on €1 sweaters, that's probably me. Come say "Hi"!
This is an article from our Guardian Travel Network. To find out more about it, click here
