Mercato Ortofrutticolo di Chioggia

The Chioggia Market has been the starting point for local horticulture.
Built in 1972 according to the design by architect Pier Luigi Nervi, it covers a total area of 80,000 square meters. After several years of management by the Municipality of Chioggia, it was entrusted to an Association of Producers (A.P.O.S) until 1994, when the CO.GE.M.O., a Consortium to which all market operators adhered, took over.
As of March 1, 2010, the Managing Authority of the Market is Chioggia Ortomercato del Veneto S.r.l.

Historical Notes

Starting in 1930, the horticulturists of Chioggia who supplied their produce to the Venice market managed to procure seeds of the "Radicchio Variegato di Castelfranco," a poorly defined variety, varying in color from red to variegated, but long and open.

Then, through intense selection work aimed at designating only those plants with a marked propensity to form a clump with tightly packed central leaves as seed plants, the "Radicchio Variegato di Chioggia" was established. Subsequently, by selecting plants with increasingly widespread and extensive red streaks, the "Radicchio Rosso di Chioggia" differentiated around 1950.

The transportation to Venice was carried out three times a week using vessels called "batelli," barges that had a capacity of 300 quintals and were towed by motorized boats.

Among the first families to trade the Radicchio Rosso di Chioggia with Venice and contribute to its genetic improvement were: Boscolo "Papo Berlan," Boscolo "Sassariolo," Boscolo "Nata Micia," Boscolo "Meneguolo," Boscolo "Anzoletti Stoffi," Boscolo "Zemelo," Tiozzo "Brasiola Beppei," Tiozzo "Caenazzo," Boscolo "Ceggion," Labecchi...
Initially, only a few hectares of this vegetable were cultivated in Chioggia, but slowly, by 1946, about 50 hectares were covered, with late productions from January to March.

The vegetable growers of Chioggia during this period began to show greater interest in the tendency of radicchio to form a ball and to develop a uniform red color and noted that the product with these characteristics started to be more in demand by market operators and better rewarded.