THE MANDRACCHIO FISH MARKET

Every night, the ritual of the auction plays out under the concrete bays designed by Gaetano Minnucci.

At the top of the staircase, a poster welcomes regulars and workers with its manifesto: “Men at Sea” is a statement, a shared identity, a project, a mission. It’s true for women like Mrs. Tilla – a legend of both market and city – as well as for others on land and out at sea. The core of it all is this building, a Babel of languages and dialects: inside, hundreds of hands and eyes conduct exchanges, negotiations, and interactions around the conveyor belts carrying the crates full of fish ready to be put on display and assigned to the highest bidder; outside, a flurry of trucks, refrigerated vehicles, and forklifts.

Text: Cristiana Colli