A cooperative of salami- and sausage-makers was already active here in the sixteenth century (the very first of its kind in Europe). The busy indoor market of those days was a strictly Paduan thing. Nowadays, the goods on offer are slightly more cosmopolitan, but the spirit of the place remains very special.

‘Sotto il Salone’ is a name that refers to a unique structure, for the Salone this market is ‘under’ (sotto) is Palazzo della Ragione, the largest raised hall in the world.