Pembrooke & Ives Director of Branding & Communications Alexia Sheinman ventured to Mercanteinfiera, a week-long antiques show in Parma, Italy to explore the vast collection of the industry’s finest antiques.

“The Parma Antique Show is not quite like any other furniture show I have been to. While shows like Paris’ Maison et Objet and Milan’s Salone de Mobile are an opportunity to see the latest and greatest from the showrooms and designers from around the world, Mercanteinfiera is all about the oldest and the greatest.”
– Alexia Sheinman

Mercanteinfiera offers rows upon rows of vendors exhibiting their top sought-after antiques available for purchase. As their nature suggests, very often the items shown are purchased on the spot.

“It is very much a show for shopping rather than trend spotting and information gathering. And not the window shopping maybe-I’ll-come-back-for-it-later, kind of buying. The good things get snatched up so quickly that if you aren’t going to make a commitment to it when you see it, the piece will likely be gone by the time you circle back around. In this way, it is an exhilarating experience, but my best advice would be to show up with furniture plans, dimensions, a tape measure and a clear vision in hand so that you can make on-the-spot decisions.”

Selections range from furniture to fine art, collectibles, and sculptures. Perfect for the savvy collector, art enthusiast, designer, and architect, the show offers unique and curated gems from over a thousand vendors.

The sprawling show is divided up between 3 halls, somewhat categorized by genre though this seems to be a bit of a loose categorization. One can find anything and everything, from 16^th century frescoed Italian ceilings to antique 1930’s full pharmacy displays to Memphis Milano icons.

It is best to methodically wind your way up and down each aisle to ensure you catch it all. Luckily, there are many stops for espresso along the way.