MERCAT DE LA BOQUERIA

Description

Essentials about the Mercat de la Boqueria in brief

A visit to the Mercat de la Boqueria will make your mouth water. Located directly on Barcelona’s main promenade La Rambla, it is the city’s most famous, beautiful and largest market. Here, not only the sense of taste is stimulated, but also the eyes get a taste by the wonderful presentation of the goods at most of the stalls. In addition, the market building itself, constructed entirely of steel and decorated with many glass mosaics, is a feast for the eyes.

The range of goods on offer at the Mercat de la Boqueria

At the Mercat de la Boqueria you can find almost everything your culinary heart desires: sweets, honey, cheese, oils, olives, local and exotic fruits and vegetables, meat, ham, fish, seafood. Everything is fresh and the choice is huge. At many stalls you can not only taste the products, but also have a meal. No wonder the market is “overrun” every day anew by both locals and tourists.

The history of the Mercat de la Boqueria

The Mercat de la Boqueria dates back to a street market that was held on the Rambla. Since 1217 we know of tables placed near the former city gate Boqueria to sell meat. From 1470, the pig market was held there. The square was still outside the city gates of Barcelona and other merchants also offered their wares there or nearby.

The open space was initially surrounded by a portico and was also intended to be built on, but it had no official status and was considered only an extension of the market in Plaça Nova, which extended to Plaça del Pi. Later, however, it was decided to separate the market and a fish market was built on the Rambla (de Sant Josep), as well as stalls for butchers and poultry farmers.

It was not until 1826 that the street market was regulated by law, and when the Convent of Sant Josep was demolished in 1835, a square was designed in its place that remotely resembled Plaça Reial due to its northern and southern rows of arcades. A year later, the construction of a market was planned in the middle of the square. Construction began in 1840 and the market was inaugurated that same year, but changes to the plan continued to be made until 1846. Finally, in 1848, another fish market was built behind the Palau de la Virreina. In 1853, the market acquired an official character. In 1911 the new fish market was opened and in 1914 the metal roof, as it is seen today, was inaugurated.