One Sunday every month, over 300 exhibitors from all over Italy flock to the Piazza Patrioti, via Roma, and via Cavour in the center of Cortemaggiore, to attend one of the city’s most awaited event: the Cose d’altri tempi a Cortemaggiore antiques market.

This monthly antique market, qualified and recognized nationally, is organized by the Cortemaggiore Tourism Association, and is flourishing year on year, attracting more buyers, sellers, collectors and tourists local and foreign.

The Cose d’altri tempi a Cortemaggiore has been in operation since 1988, and has a reputation as an antiques market showcasing high quality antique pieces. It rather prides itself on this fact, and is committed to offering its customers a strict level of quality. This focus means that only professionals and traders who comply with all the rules laid down by law can participate to the Cose d’altri tempi a Cortemaggiore, which provides a very nice guarantee to both serious collectors and casual shoppers that any piece they leave with, is the real deal.

The setting of the Cose d’altri tempi a Cortemaggiore is the small but beautiful Renaissance village of Bassa Piacentina. Founded in 1479 by Gian Ludovico Pallavicino, it preserves the urban structure intact in its historical center, which makes it the perfect area to showcase antique and vintage collections. Items that can be found here include antique clocks, gramophones, books, household items, furniture, sewing machines, toys, prints and much, much more.

Prices of the goods sold at Cose d’altri tempi a Cortemaggiore tend to reflect their quality, though stall-holders are always incredibly friendly and happy to enter into energetic negotiations. An understanding of basic Italian is an advantage here, but more important is a big smile and willingness to try!

As well as the incredible antiques on display at Cose d’altri tempi a Cortemaggiore, there are areas where delicious local treats and refreshments are available, so weary antique hunters can be well supplied and re-energized when needed. The location is fantastic, so a day can easily be spent here and it will be hard to leave without a memento of the day.