Ancona Fish Market was designed by Gaetano Minnucci. It sits among the silos, docks and graffiti by artists Blu and Ericailcane and is housed in the big parallelepiped-shaped building located next to the Mandracchio roundabout, adjacent to the Lazzaretto. It has a large warehouse and storage area with various refrigerated lockups, rooms for fish inspections, and a huge ‘arena’ for selling fish.
Its façade is decorated with an image of a big whale, a piece of art that was completed in 2009 by the artist Andreco as part of the PopUp contemporary art event.
The fish is sold by Dutch auction from Tuesday to Friday. Two types of auctions are held here: the first at night in the big communal building, where fish caught through trawling is sold; the second, held in the Fisherman’s Union building, takes place in the afternoon, and it is here that oily fish is sold. Both auctions are managed by the Cooperativa Pescatori (Fisherman’s Cooperative), set up in 1993.
The auctions used to be lively and chaotic occasions because the prices were shouted aloud. In 1954 they were mechanised: the auctioneer would set a sort of big clock in motion showing the prices, and buyers would sit at stations equipped with automated buttons to stop the auction when the price was right. Auctions are now run electronically.
Marche Film Commission — Fondazione Marche Cultura
Piazza Cavour 23 — 60121 Ancona
Phone: +39 071 9951 623/624/625
Email: silvia.pincini@fondazionemarchecultura.it
