The Boqueria Market, as it is known nowadays, has been thru many phases of life. On the next words Iwill try and give a trustworthy outline of that rich history as we comprehend it. Where this marketplace comes from is doubtful, what we’re sure of is that it was born as a travelling market, put in the Ramblas of Barcelona. La Rambla bought growing importance as a pedestrian road, and the marketplace was set in the ideal place to draw in the big numbers of passers-by and local people.

Its place was threatened a lot of times. In Catalunya, towns and towns have been founded around markets and the same rings true for La Boqueria. It originated as an open-air market, in front of one of the gates of the old city wall ( Pla de la Boqueria ) where fruit and plant traders from local towns and farms nearby would sell their products. The spaces inside the town at that time were too small to establish a massive market of the current Boqueria kind and it was necessary to set them outside of the walls.
As the market’s popularity grew, farmers from neighbouring towns, such as Les Corts and Sarri were stopped from trading here. As the competition in the market grew increasingly fierce, there would be disagreements and fights between the old greengrocers and the fresh ones. For convenience sake the markets from the two near squares were merged into one : La Rambla de Sant Josep. Fish shops, butchers, and bird shops were built surrounding the new space, forming streets by the side of the priory and the Virreina. In 1826 The Marquee of Campo Sagrado, general captain of Catalunya, began to control, for the 1st time, the successful market of La Boqueria. The new open-air market, in Rambla de Sant Jos was inaugurated on October 18th, 1827. In 1835 the eradication of the priory of Sant Josep occurred. It got replaced by a square, which would have been the grandest square in Barcelona of its time. Surrounded by porches, with gardens and fountains, it was named Plaa del Treball. Architecturally, the high columns were monumental, with a powerful allegorical sense to the work. When this regeneration was nearly complete, and at the time when works were expected to start, it was believed important to briefly install the market in the old convent of Sant Josep and so be ready to remove it from the middle of la Rambla. This explains why the homes that surround and frame the market of the Boqueria form porches, which are unlike those in the present market. In 1836 when the priory of the Carmelitas vanished with its church of Saint Josep, the town hall planned the development of the market. The project was in the hands of the architect Mas Vil. On St. Joseph’s day in 1840 the 1st stone of the market of la Boqueria was placed. In 1848 an enclosure for the fishmonger’s shop behind the palace of the Virreina was made. The pavilion that would later become the office of the Direction and Veterinary Services was also built. In 1861 some of the fruit and plant traders were permitted to settle provisionally at square Sant Agust and it was from this point that la Rambla was to be kept solely for flower stands. Many salesreps gave out a flower for the buy of some of their products. The sale of flowers increased. In 1863 the retail places of fruit and veg settled beneath the porches. In 1869 the convent of Jerusalem, located behind the market, was demolished to allow for an extension to be built. In the Yuletide of 1871, the gas lighting was introduced to the market. In 1911 the fishmonger’s shop was built.

In 1914 the market with the metal roof was inaugurated. From there, it began to modernise and to enhance, not only at a sanitary level, but also aesthetic, and ornamental. Over the years, La Boqueria has become the most emblematic market of all of the network of markets in Barcelona. The structure, the situation, and the salesmen turn it into an obliged must-see for all of the visitors who visit our city. This market has for the people of Barcelona, the suggestion of strong family memories. It’s mixed up with the city’s history, of all our families, their well-liked conventions and celebrations. The present salespeople are often, of the third and 4th generation of salesreps of the market. They’re the union of the past with the present. Innovators, full of projects and re-building ideas for La Boqueria : for the new Barcelona. The commercial supply is in abundance and varies significantly : fresh fish and seafood ; salted fish ; tinned foodstuff ; butchery and offal ; birds ; game and eggs ; fruits and vegetables ; herbs ; delicatessen ; breads and pastries ; restaurants ; frozen items ; workman products ; charcuterie ; farmers’ shops ; wine ; and even a Greek and an Italian hand made pasta stall have joined the consortium/maelstrom that keeps La Boqueria alive. After all , the market is all about its people! If you like to visit the Boqueria look for a Hotel Barcellona. A Hotel a Barcellona is a good starting point to get to the center of Barcelona.

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