Rome opens its food markets until late.

Rome's food markets are permitted to open until late - in some cases until midnight - under new legislation signed by the city's mayor Virginia Raggi.

The order simplifies existing opening hours and grants more flexibility to market organisers and individual stall owners to stay open late if they wish.

The move, which comes in Rome's post-lockdown phase, is designed to make the city "more livable and citizen-friendly," according to Raggi.

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The mayor said the new timetable underlined the role of the market as a "gathering place where you can go shopping during the day or meet up in the evening to have a drink and eat something."

• Rome farmers' market at Circus Maximus

The shake-up of opening hours is also seen as giving traders a boost following months of economic hardship due to the covid-19 crisis.

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The new rules, which vary according to the various types of market and their management structure, allows stalls to stay open until 22.00 during the week, with certain markets permitted to remain open until 23.00 on Saturdays, and midnight on Sundays and public holidays.

For full information about market opening hours see the city website.

Photo: Sjors Gijsbers / Shutterstock.com