The Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, often simply referred to as La Boqueria (; es, La Boquería}), is a large
public market in the
Ciutat Vella
Ciutat Vella (, meaning in English "Old City") 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 nestl ...
district of
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
,
Catalonia
Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy.
Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the north ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
, and one of the city's foremost tourist landmarks, with an entrance from
La Rambla, not far from the
Liceu
The Gran Teatre del Liceu (, English: Great Theatre of the Lyceum), known as ''El Liceu'', is an opera house in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Located in La Rambla, it is the oldest running theatre in Barcelona.
Founded in 1837 at another loca ...
, Barcelona's
opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
house. The market has a very diverse selection of goods.
Transport
*
Barcelona Metro
The Barcelona Metro (Catalan and Spanish: ) is an extensive network of rapid transit electrified railway lines that run mostly underground in central Barcelona and into the city's suburbs. It is part of the larger public transport sys ...
–
Liceu
The Gran Teatre del Liceu (, English: Great Theatre of the Lyceum), known as ''El Liceu'', is an opera house in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Located in La Rambla, it is the oldest running theatre in Barcelona.
Founded in 1837 at another loca ...
(on
L3).
*
Barcelona Bus – Lines 14, 59 and 91.
History
The first mention of the Boqueria market in Barcelona dates from 1217, when tables were installed near the old city gate to sell meat. From December 1470 onwards, a pig market was held at this site; at this time it was known as Mercadi Bornet. Later, until 1794, it was known simply as Mercat de la Palla, or straw market. In the beginning, the market was not enclosed and had no official status, being regarded simply as an extension of the
Plaça Nova market, which extended to the
Plaça del Pi. The current name is believed to derive from the
Catalan
Catalan may refer to:
Catalonia
From, or related to Catalonia:
* Catalan language, a Romance language
* Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia
Places
* 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...
, meaning "goat", therefore a ''boqueria'' would be a place where
goat meat
Goat meat or goat's meat is the meat of the domestic goat ''(Capra aegagrus hircus)''. The common name for goat meat is simply "goat", while that from young goats can be called ''capretto'' (It.), ''cabrito'' (Sp. and Por.) or ''kid''. In South ...
is sold;
compare also French , whence ''
Vucciria
La Vucciria is an ancient, large market or bazaar area and neighborhood, with shops and tables selling products, produce, and foodstuffs located in the ancient quarter of Castellammare of central Palermo, region of Sicily, Italy. It consists of nu ...
'', the name of a market in
Palermo
Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...
, Italy.
Later, the authorities decided to construct a separate market on
La Rambla, housing mainly
fishmonger
A fishmonger (historically fishwife for female practitioners) is someone who sells raw fish and seafood. Fishmongers can be wholesalers or retailers and are trained at selecting and purchasing, handling, gutting, boning, filleting, displaying, m ...
s and
butcher
A butcher is a person who may Animal slaughter, slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat, or participate within any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat and poultry for sale in retail or wholesal ...
s. It was not until 1826 that the market was legally recognized, and a convention held in 1835, decided to build an official structure. Construction began on March 19, 1840, under the direction of architect
Mas Vilá. The market officially opened in the same year, but the plans for the building were modified many times. The inauguration of the structure finally took place in 1853. A new fish market opened in 1911, and the metal roof that still exists today was constructed in 1914.
See also
*
List of markets in Barcelona
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 ...
References
External links
Mercat de la BoqueriaBoqueria Market ToursFood and Culinary tours in the La Boqueria Market
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boqueria, La
History of Barcelona
Economy of Barcelona
Buildings and structures in Barcelona
Tourist attractions in Barcelona
Retail markets in Barcelona
Ciutat Vella
La Rambla, Barcelona
Barcelona
Catalonia
El Raval
1840 in Spain