The first act of Christmas Eve was made from " Cottio ," the fish auction , which was held from the twelfth century until the early nineteenth century , the Portico d'Ottavia , near the church of Sant'Angelo in fish market , where were purchased raw materials of fish dinner , a dinner of lean, as tradition required , to fulfill this precept of abstinence and not run into disbelief .

The wholesale fish (the " cottio " , from medieval Latin " coctigium " ) began in the early hours of the morning and was held in the form of auction in traditional ways . Were used for the trading jargon comprehensible only to " cottiatori " and buyers : retailers, operators of restaurants, chefs noble Roman families . Everything ended up composing a kind of "show" , just think that the market was attended not only by the common people, but also by representatives of high society , who went there in evening dress , having attended parties in palaces .

The Christmas Eve dinner was in fact considered one of the most important culinary events of the year. It began with an appetizer of olives , eels, small fish and pickled fish broth , followed the pasta with tuna sauce , and salt cod stew with pine nuts and raisins, accompanied by broccoli and apples fried in batter . After dinner there was in force a tombola and the " sermon " , the poem recited by children in front of the Christmas crib. This was followed by midnight mass and particularly solemn was the one that took place in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.

After the unification of Italy was decided to move the fish market from the Portico d'Ottavia in Piazza San Teodoro: The fish was brought into the city through the Porta San Paolo and brings Portese and the new location of the market made it possible to avoid that the goods to pass through the city.
The new market was equipped with workshops for sale, pulpits for the auctioneers, a way for the passage of wagons and night lighting , as well as a watering system which contributed not a little, compared to the past , to improve the conditions health and hygiene.
The " Cottio " was held in San Teodoro until 1927 , when he was transferred to the general markets on the Via Ostiense : on the night between 23 and 24 , around midnight opened the gates of the general markets : even private citizens were entitled to access to the market where you could enjoy , without charge , " cartocciate " fried fish ( minnows, pescioloni , maybe not quality ... but still extremely valuable fresh fish) , offered by wholesalers . It was to create a charming atmosphere which later became , more recently , a "fashion elite , which by the way also allowed a saving compared to the cost in normal fish shops in the city.
This tradition, unfortunately, has been lost. It 's over well , as sometimes end all things beautiful , nice , pleasant , when markets were closed the old generals, moved into new and more suitable seat in Guidonia .