List of markets in Barcelona

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La Boqueria ForbysBoqueria.jpg
La Boqueria

The city of Barcelona has a great many neighborhood markets that provide meat, fish, produce, and more on a daily basis, and are still vital to the urban life of the city. Many of the city's historic markets date to the mid-to-late 19th century, as the city was experiencing rapid growth due to the creation of the Eixample. Each neighborhood has at least one market and many have up to 4. Markets in the city are typically large enclosed spaces located centrally in the neighborhoods they serve. The larger markets are arranged into departments depending on the product. In addition, there exist many non-food based markets around the city, such as those that offer art or secondhand goods. The city's oldest markets are located in the Ciutat Vella and Eixample, with newer markets along the fringes of the city. Many of the older markets, such as La Boqueria, not only provide food and goods for their surrounding neighborhoods, but are tourist attractions in their own right, as they provide an essential glimpse into everyday life in the city. The markets are administered under the Mercats Municipals de Barcelona wing of the city's government. [1]

Contents

La Boqueria

Fruit at La Boqueria La Boqueria.JPG
Fruit at La Boqueria

The Boqueria is the most well known market in the city of Barcelona. It houses the best and most well known producers and specializes in the sale of fresh produce, seafood, meats (specifically Jamón Iberico) and tapas. Also well known are the candies and fresh juices found on the Rambla side of the market. The first known mention of the Boqueria came in 1217, when meat sales began to take place near the old door to the city. In December 1470, the marketplace began to specialize in the sale of pigs. These transitions came and passed as the marketplace functioned under the names El Mercat Bornet and El Mercat de la Palla (Straw Market) until 1794 when it began to be referred to as the Boqueria. The market was still unenclosed and functioning as an extension of the Mercat de Placa Nova until the government decided to make it an independent market off the Rambla for the sale of meats and fish. In 1826, it was legally recognized. On March 19, 1840, construction began under the direction of architect Mas Vilà. The market opened in the same year but was not officially inaugurated until 1854. In 1911, the new fish market opened and in 1914, the metal roof, which still covers the market, was built. [2]

Mercat de Sant Antoni

The front of the Mercat Sant Antoni Mercat-sant-antoni-barcelona.png
The front of the Mercat Sant Antoni

The Mercat de Sant Antoni is one of the largest markets in the city of Barcelona. It was built according to Ildefonso Cerdà’s original, nature-based city plan (Greek-cross style plan inset in a larger square) by Antoni Rovira i Tras in 1882 in a triangle of Eixample blocks in between El Raval and Poble Sec. The metal structure covers an entire block of the Raval. Items sold include fresh produce, meats and fish. It is known for its book and coin market that is held outside on Sundays. In 2015, the market building closed for renovations, and the market itself is housed in a temporary building next door until 2017. [3]

Mercat de Santa Caterina

The newly renovated Mercat de Santa Caterina Jfader santa catalina.jpg
The newly renovated Mercat de Santa Caterina

Located in La Ribera just off the Via Laietana, the Mercat de Santa Caterina has been in operation since 1848. It was recently remodeled in 2005 by Enric Miralles and Benedetta Tagliabue. The remodel included a roof in the form of a multicolored ceramic wave, which sits atop the wooden walls that enclose the market. During the remodeling, the market was relocated to the stretch of the Passeig de Sant Joan in between the Arc de Triomf and the city's Parc de la Ciutadella. [4] [5]

The market now serves an area also previously served by the Mercat del Born, which has been converted into an archaeological site preserving the foundations of the older neighborhood underneath its roof. Inside are numerous food stalls as well as restaurants.

Mercat de la Barceloneta

The Mercat de la Barceloneta, like the Mercat de Santa Caterina dates from 1848. While originally an open-air market, it has since been enclosed.

Mercat de la Concepció

Mercat de la Concepcio Mercat de la concepcio barcelona mercat del concepcio place-full.jpg
Mercat de la Concepció

The Mercat de la Concepció is well known for its flowers. Built in 1888 by Antoni Rovira i Trias, this Eixample market, which spans an entire block, was constructed using iron, a revolutionary new architectural form that gained prominence around this time. It was completely remodeled in 1998 due to its outdated nature and lack of necessary amenities. Some of the improvements included reorganizing the market, evolving its offerings, adding new technology, and improving basic elements of the market such as parking availability. [6] [7]

Mercat del Ninot

The Mercat del Ninot is located in the western portion of the Eixample. Its current building dates from 1933. [8]

Mercat d'Hostafrancs

Mercat d'Hostafrancs Catalonia Barcelona Mercat DHostrafranchs Angle.jpg
Mercat d'Hostafrancs

The Mercat d'Hostafrancs is one of the larger markets in the western part of the city. It is located near Montjuic.

Mercat de Sants

Located in the Sants district, this market dates from 1913 [9]

Mercat del Fort Pienc

The Mercat del Fort Pienc is one of the city's newest markets, dating from 2003 [10]

Mercat de Poblenou

One of the few markets serving the Poblenou area, the Mercat de Poblenou has served its neighborhood since 1913. [11]

Pintors del Pi Market

Pintors Pi Market Pintors pi.jpg
Pintors Pi Market

One of the most famous art markets in the city of Barcelona is the Mercadillo de la Placa de Sant Josep, also known as the Pintors del Pi market. Situated in the Placa de Sant Josep Oriol i Pi just under the church of Santa Maria del Pi, the market began in the 1970s when a group of Catalan artists decided to meet up to bring art to the streets of the city. Many different types of art are represented, including watercolors and oils, and representations vary from cityscapes to portraits. The market opens every weekend and usually showcases around 15 artists. [12] [13]

El Mercat dels Encants

El Mercat dels Encants is Barcelona’s biggest and most recognized secondhand market. This newly renovated market next to Las Glorias Square is well known for its aggressive architectural style. Fermín Vásquez Arquitectos, the group that designed the building, did not want the building to appear as a shopping center. This led to the design of a wall-less, continuous space, with ramps and elevated “floors” that loop around the entire structure. Notable items include furniture, clothing and books on the upper floors, and the second-hand items are primarily on the ground floor level. [14] The market is open on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. [15]

El Mercat Gotic

El Mercat Gotic is an antique market located in the gothic quarter of Barcelona, next to the Catedral de Santa Eulàlia. The market showcases secondhand items, mostly art pieces. Some notable items include ceramics, candles, dolls and other rare objects. The market opens every Thursday except in August. [16]

Fira de Nadal de la Sagrada Familia

The Fira de Nadal de la Sagrada Familia is an annual open-air Christmas market that has been held at the Sagrada Familia since 1960, normally from November 29 to December 23. Items sold include Christmas trees, figurines, toys, gifts, food, and art. The market is popular among families with children due to the appearance of Santa Claus. [17]

Other Markets

Mercat de Galvany in the Sarria-Sant Gervasi district. Mercat de Galvany des del carrer de Madrazo.jpg
Mercat de Galvany in the Sarria-Sant Gervasi district.

In addition to its larger, more central markets, the city of Barcelona also contains many more neighborhood markets under its care.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eixample</span> District of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain

The Eixample is a district of Barcelona between the old city and what were once surrounding small towns, constructed in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Its population was 262,000 at the last census (2005).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ciutat Vella</span> District of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain

Ciutat Vella is a district of Barcelona, numbered District 1. The name means "old city" in Catalan and refers to the oldest neighborhoods in the city of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Ciutat Vella is nestled between the Mediterranean Sea and the neighborhood called l'Eixample.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Rambla, Barcelona</span> Thoroughfare in Barcelona, Spain

La Rambla, is considered the most well known street in central Barcelona. A tree-lined pedestrian street, it stretches for 1.2 kilometres connecting the Plaça de Catalunya in its center with the Christopher Columbus Monument at Port Vell. La Rambla forms the boundary between the neighbourhoods of the Barri Gòtic to the east and the El Raval to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">El Raval</span> Human settlement in Ciutat Vella, Barcelona, Barcelonès, Spain

El Raval is a neighborhood in the Ciutat Vella district of Barcelona, the capital city of Catalonia. The neighborhood, especially the part closest to the old port, was formerly (informally) known as Barri Xinès or Barrio Chino, meaning "Chinatown". El Raval is one of the two historical neighborhoods that border La Rambla, the other being the Barri Gòtic; it contains some 50,000 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Boqueria</span>

The Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, usually simply referred to as La Boqueria, is a large public market in the Ciutat Vella district of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, and one of the city's foremost tourist landmarks, with an entrance from La Rambla, not far from the Liceu, Barcelona's opera house. The market has a very diverse selection of goods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Via Laietana</span> Thoroughfare in Barcelona, Spain

Via LaietanaVía Layetana in Spanish, is a major thoroughfare in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in the Ciutat Vella district. The avenue runs from Plaça Urquinaona to Plaça d'Antonio López, by the seafront, and separates the neighbourhoods of the old city it has on either side: La Ribera/El Born and Sant Pere on one and Barri Gòtic on the other. Besides being always overcrowded with both locals and tourists attracted by its Modernista Art Nouveau, Art Déco, and Noucentista neo-classical architecture, in addition to its nearness to the Ramblas and the quiet pedestrian streets of Barri Gòtic, Via Laietana hosts the headquarters of a number of banks and institutions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes</span>

Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes, most often shortened to Glòries, is a large square in Barcelona, first designed by Ildefons Cerdà to serve as the city centre in his original urban plan, but nowadays relegated to quite a secondary position. It is located in the Sant Martí district, bordering Eixample, at the junction of three of the city's most important thoroughfares: Avinguda Diagonal, Avinguda Meridiana and Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes. Currently it serves largely as a roundabout of elevated highways. However, beginning in the early 2000s, and as of 2007, revamping project for Glòries has started, which is aimed to give the square a new role in Barcelona and revitalize the northern districts of the city, under the name 22@. These plans supplement other large-scale plans in Sagrera and the Fòrum area. The first installment of this project was the construction of the controversial Torre Agbar skyscraper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plaça d'Espanya, Barcelona</span>

Plaça d'Espanya is one of Barcelona's most important squares, built on the occasion of the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition, held at the foot of Montjuïc, in the Sants-Montjuïc district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Universitat (Barcelona Metro)</span> Metro station in Barcelona, Spain

Universitat is a Barcelona Metro station named after Plaça de la Universitat, split between Eixample and Ciutat Vella districts of Barcelona, where the station is located in. This square holds the historical building of Universitat de Barcelona, celebrated for its neo-gothic style. The station is accessible for disabled persons since 1995, when Barcelona Metro line 2 opened its platforms. It is served by TMB-operated Barcelona Metro lines L1 and L2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monumental station</span> Metro station in Barcelona, Spain

Monumental is the name of a station in the Barcelona Metro network. It takes its name from the former La Monumental bullring located in Eixample Dret, the northern part of the central Barcelona district of Eixample. It's served by L2, and opened in 1995, along with the other stations of the first section of the line to be built. It's situated under Carrer de la Marina between Consell de Cent and Diputació, and can be accessed from both sidewalks of Marina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrer d'Aragó, Barcelona</span>

Carrer d'Aragó is a major thoroughfare in Barcelona, one of the widest and busiest roads of the districts it cuts through, especially Eixample but also Sant Martí. Its creation was passed in 1863, and was part of Ildefons Cerdà's urban plan, appearing as L Street in 1867, even though that name was never approved. Instead, another name, a reference to the Crown of Aragon, was proposed in 1863 by Víctor Balaguer, who was commissioned by the city council to rename all the streets in the area. Its Spanish-language rendition, Calle de Aragón, was the official designation back then. It starts in Carrer de Tarragona and it becomes Rambla de Guipúscoa at the intersection with Carrer de Lope de Vega.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plaça de Mossèn Jacint Verdaguer, Barcelona</span> Square in Barcelona

Plaça de Mossèn Jacint Verdaguer is a square in the Eixample district of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It lies in the intersection between Avinguda Diagonal, the city's main avenue, and Passeig de Sant Joan, in Dreta de l'Eixample, not far from the Sagrada Família.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sant Antoni, Barcelona</span> Human settlement in Eixample, Barcelona, Barcelonès, Spain

Sant Antoni is a neighborhood in the Eixample district of Barcelona, Catalonia (Spain). Its non-official centre, the marketplace of the same name—designed by Antoni Rovira i Trias and built between 1872 and 1882—is one of the oldest and most popular in the city, especially with the secondhand book stalls that surround the building Sunday mornings. It is bordered by the neighbourhoods of the L'Antiga Esquerra de l'Eixample, the Raval, and Poble Sec. The streets of Sant Antoni follow the grid pattern prevalent in all of Eixample, except for a central thoroughfare, the Avinguda de Mistral, built on the site of an important medieval road which led out of Barcelona. Another well-known landmark of Sant Antoni is the bar called Els Tres Tombs, right next to the market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catalunya en Miniatura</span>

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercat del Born</span> Modernisme in La Ribera

Mercat del Born is a former public market and one of the most important buildings in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain constructed with iron. Located in the lower and eastern side of the la Ribera neighborhood, it is the largest covered square in all of Europe and marked the start of Modernisme in Catalan architecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Museum of the History of Barcelona</span> History museum in Plaça del Rei, Barcelona

The Museum of the History of Barcelona is a history museum that conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits the historical heritage of the city of Barcelona, from its origins in Roman times until the present day. The museum's headquarters are located on Plaça del Rei, in the Barcelona Gothic Quarter. It also manages several historic sites all around the city, most of them archaeological sites displaying remains of the ancient Roman city, called Barcino in Latin. Some others date to medieval times, including the Jewish quarter and the medieval royal palace called the Palau Reial Major. The rest are contemporary, among them old industrial buildings and sites related to Antoni Gaudí and the Spanish Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Barcelona</span> Overview of and topical guide to Barcelona

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Barcelona:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urban planning of Barcelona</span>

The urban planning of Barcelona developed in accordance with the historical and territorial changes of the city, and in line with other defining factors of public space, such as architecture, urban infrastructure and the adaptation and maintenance of natural spaces, parks and gardens.

References

  1. "Mercats Municipals de Barcelona". Archived from the original on 2009-01-04. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
  2. "Boqueria Market". Barcelona.com. Barcelona.com.
  3. "Mercat de Sant Antoni". Barcelona.com. Barcelona.com.
  4. http://www.mercatsbcn.com/mercats/index.php?fuseaction=historia&id_mercat=29%5B%5D
  5. "Mercat Santa Caterina". Barcelona.com. Barcelona.com.
  6. http://www.mercatsbcn.com/mercats/index.php?fuseaction=historia&id_mercat=10%5B%5D
  7. "La Concepció History". Mercat de La Concepció. Associació de Concessionaris del Mercat de la Concepció.
  8. http://www.mercatsbcn.com/mercats/index.php?fuseaction=historia&id_mercat=24%5B%5D
  9. http://www.mercatsbcn.com/mercats/index.php?fuseaction=historia&id_mercat=34%5B%5D
  10. "Mercats Municipals de Barcelona". Archived from the original on 2006-01-18. Retrieved 2008-10-30.
  11. http://www.mercatsbcn.com/mercats/index.php?fuseaction=historia&id_mercat=38%5B%5D
  12. "Historia". Pintors Pi Barcelona. Ajuntament de Barcelona.
  13. "Pintors Pi Barcelona". Artelista. Artesanum.
  14. "Barcelona's Flea Market, Encants Vells (Fira del Bellcaire)". Latitudefortyone.com. Latitudefortyone.com. 20 August 2022.
  15. "Mercat Encants / b720 Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos". ArchDaily. ArchDaily. 3 December 2013.
  16. "Mercat Gotic". Barcelona.com. Barcelona.com.
  17. "Fira de Nadal de la Sagrada Familia". Barcelona.com. Barcelona.com.