Story of a Tripe Stall in Florence

Before talking about myself, Beatrice Trambusti, and how I have come this far, I would first like to digress a little and begin to tell you everything from the very beginning. Perhaps not everyone knows that the story of the Mercato Centrale di San Lorenzo began in 1872 when the Municipality of Florence decided to issue licenses for stall management to those who had encountered legal troubles—a way to allow them to start over from scratch and to make them feel part of society again. And indeed, it worked. Among the licenses granted was also that of the tripe stall at Via dell’Ariento, on the corner with Via Sant’Antonino.

The first operator, Pierino Iandello, worked in the early ’70s. Pierino was a true character, famous not so much for his culinary skills as for his love of good wine. Urban legends say that it was easier to meet him in the wine cellar than at his stall making sandwiches.

After Pierino, who managed the stall until 1980, came Antonio Zecchino, who took over with his daughter. Antonio is the complete opposite of his predecessor. You would always find him at the stall with his infectious cheer and friendliness, between jokes and servings of tripe and lampredotto. When Antonio retired, it became my family’s turn: the Trambusti.

Yes, it’s our turn—the third generation who took over the historic stall. Before practicing the trade, I wanted to study and learn by working at the stall alongside Antonio, watching how he did everything. When I finally felt ready, I succeeded Antonio and began the business with the support of my entire family: my mother, father, and brother Alessandro.

Things, however, did not go exactly as I had hoped. As often happens in life, due to family issues, I soon found myself running the stall all by myself. It wasn’t easy, no, but I managed. And now here I am, after 20 years, managing a stall that has become an important part of my life. With Adriano’s help every day cooking tripe and lampredotto, meeting people from all over the world, and running my small but great business with enthusiasm and joy. The decision to create the website came from an idea by Adriano: we wanted a simple and fast way to communicate with everyone who has visited the tripe stall—Florentines, enthusiasts of Florentine cuisine, tourists, friends, acquaintances, and passers-by—to bring them all together, to thank them, and to bid them farewell.

Thank you for visiting my website.

Beatrice Trambusti