A paradise for lovers of antiques, vintage treasures and curious old objects, Milan Antiques Market is held along the Naviglio Grande on the last Sunday of every month, and it’s one of the most enjoyable ways to spend a Sunday in Milan.
This city is famous for fashion, design and everything new. Yet, once a month, it enthusiastically embraces the exact opposite with the famous Milan Antiques Market.
On the last Sunday of every month, the banks of the Naviglio Grande turn into a huge open-air antiques market, where hundreds of dealers display everything from vintage furniture and handbags to old books, paintings, silverware and objects whose original purpose is anybody’s guess.
Officially called the Mercatone dell’Antiquariato, the Milan Antiques Market is a wonderful place to wander around, admire beautiful old things and perhaps discover something you didn’t know you needed.
And the best part? You don’t have to buy anything to enjoy it.
What can you find at the Milan Antiques Market?
The short answer is: almost anything!
With hundreds of stalls stretching along the canal, the market offers an extraordinary assortment of antiques, vintage objects and collectibles from different periods.
Art lovers will find paintings, engravings, prints, antique mirrors and decorative frames. Some stalls resemble miniature art galleries, with landscapes, still lifes and portraits of rather serious-looking people who probably never imagined they’d end up for sale beside a Milanese canal.
There are also plenty of stands specialising in porcelain, pottery, glassware and silverware. You’ll come across delicate tea services, colourful ceramic plates, elegant vases, silver trays, candlesticks and all sorts of decorative objects that once occupied pride of place in somebody’s home.
Book lovers should be particularly careful. Between second-hand novels, illustrated volumes, old magazines, antique maps and beautifully bound ancient books, it’s remarkably easy to come away carrying considerably more paper than you intended.
And then there’s the furniture. Vintage chairs, wooden tables, small cabinets, old desks, lamps and beautiful mid-century pieces that would look perfectly at home in a modern apartment. Just remember that falling in love with an antique wardrobe is considerably easier than getting it home on the Metro.
Vintage fashion, Olivetti typewriters and other curiosities
Naturally, this being Milan, fashion makes an appearance too. You’ll find vintage handbags, scarves, jewellery, hats, clothing and accessories from different decades. Some pieces are timelessly elegant, while others are wonderful reminders that fashion hasn’t always been particularly restrained.
Another fascinating category is old technology. Vintage cameras, radios, telephones, clocks and those beautiful old Olivetti typewriters occasionally make an appearance.
There’s something particularly appealing about an old Olivetti (especially the iconic “Lettera 22”). No internet connection, no notifications, no automatic spellchecker. Just a sheet of paper, a keyboard and the possibility of making a mistake that cannot be corrected with a simple click.
And, of course, no antiques market would be complete without its share of oddities. Vintage toys, old advertising signs, mysterious kitchen implements, strange decorative objects and assorted items that leave you wondering what on earth people used them for.
Sometimes even the dealers’ explanations don’t entirely solve the mystery.
That’s part of the fun.
A Sunday stroll along the Naviglio Grande
One of the nicest things about the Milan Antiques Market is its location. The Naviglio Grande is one of Milan’s historic canals, lined with picturesque buildings, little shops, art galleries, restaurants and cafés.
On market Sundays, the neighbourhood comes alive with visitors browsing the stalls, chatting with dealers and occasionally attempting to carry rather ambitious purchases through the crowds.
It’s a lovely atmosphere, especially on a sunny day, and there are plenty of opportunities to stop for a coffee or something to eat.
You don’t need to be an antiques expert to appreciate the market. Serious collectors may arrive looking for particular pieces, but most visitors are perfectly happy simply wandering around, examining curious objects and imagining the stories behind them.
After all, every old object has a past, even if we’ll never know exactly what it was.
Useful information:
The Mercatone dell’Antiquariato sul Naviglio Grande takes place along the Alzaia Naviglio Grande and some surrounding streets, with hundreds of exhibitors spread over almost two kilometres.
When: Usually the last Sunday of every month, with occasional changes to the calendar.
Opening hours: Approximately 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Admission: Free.
Getting there: Take the M2 green Metro line to Porta Genova, then walk a few minutes to the canal.
I recommend arriving reasonably early to avoid the biggest crowds and wearing comfortable shoes, because you’ll probably walk much further than you expect. It’s also worth bringing some cash, as not every dealer accepts cards.
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This post was all about Milan Antiques Market, a wonderful treasure hunt along the Naviglio Grande, where vintage treasures, curious objects and forgotten pieces of the past are just waiting to find a new home.