Piazza Sant'Ambrogio is the social centre of the neighbourhood of the same name, a working-class quarter east of the Duomo that most tourists skip entirely. The square itself is modest — the church on one side, a covered market on another, a handful of bars and trattorias around the edges — but it has the relaxed, lived-in quality that has largely disappeared from the city centre.
The covered Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio occupies the eastern side of the square, selling fresh produce, meat, fish, and cheese to local shoppers every morning. The trattorias and bars around the square are used by market workers and neighbourhood residents rather than tourists, and prices reflect this. Piazza Sant'Ambrogio is a good place to understand the Florence that exists alongside the tourist circuit, particularly on weekday mornings when the market is in full operation.