Editing Barcelona (section)

=== Mercat de la Boqueria ===
==== 1200 - 1700 (Origin) ====

The Boqueria Market, as known nowadays, has been through many phases. Throught this document, we'll try to give a faithfull description of facts Where this market comes from is uncertain, what we are sure of is that it was born as a traveling market, placed in Ramblas of Barcelona. La Rambla adquired importance as a pedestrian lane, and the market couldn't be set in a better place, and it's location was many times threatened. Taking into consideration that in Catalunya, towns and cities have been founded around markets, we find that it's origens are as an open air market, infront of one of the gates of the old wall (Pla de la Boqueria) where salesmen and fruit and vegetable vendors from other towns and farms nearby settled to sale their products. Inner spaces where small for the stablishment of a big market and was necesary to set them outside the walls. It seems that some time ago vegetables were sold precisely at Pla de la Boqueria, where farmers of orchards stablished near paseo de la Ronda, known as "huertos de Sant Antoni, Sant Pau and Sant Bertran". Furhter stoped the farmers of the neighbour towns from Corts de Sarriá and Sarriá itself and between the old greengrocers and the new ones there would be fights, that would lead to not leaving tables and other things in the same warehouses. The primitive "marmanyeres" had the wide street of Figuera to rest their products, that went from calle Hospital to la Petxina and which was obstructed to public acces because of the construction of the legendary "casa de la Sileta". The "marmanyeres" of Sarriá left their things on another street, called "Sarrianesses". The market of Pla. de la Boqueria was called Bornet. Until 1794 it was called "Mercado de la Paja" (market of the hei), that's why at that time it was know as Pla del Peso de la Paja (Square of the Weight of the Straw) The market was surrounded by portics intending to be the first market in Europe. Later the Market didn't get built as it was projected. With all that, the market of Pla. de la Boqueria didn't have official caracter and became an extension of "Plaza Nueva" which grew to Plaza del Pi and by the riera with the same name connected with la Rambla.

==== 1701 - 1900 ====

It was believed convinient to take the market out of those two sqares and reorganize ir in Rambla de Sant Josep, and then the fish shops was built and butcher and bird shops were built, which formed streets by the side of the convent and the Virreina. The open air market, in Rambla de Sant José was inaugurated October 18th, 1827. - In 1823 it moved up to "Convento del Carme", but when religious orders went back to convents it went back to la Rambla, from where still wasn't taken out at all. Then it was projected to built a special constructiion for the market in the orchard of Infants Ofres' house, by calle Elisabets. - In 1826 The Marquee of Campo Sagrado, general captain of Catalunya ordered to regulate for the first time the flying market of la Boqueria. In 1835 took place the destruction of the convent of Sant Josep, then a square similar to the Plaza Reial was constructed in its lot, everything surrounded by porches and named Plaza del Treball. It had to had gardens and foutains and a very high column of monumental, allegorical sense of the work. At that time it would've been the the greatest square in Barcelona, since it had to connect with Jerusalem street. When the urbanization was almost ready and while the moment was expected to begin works of the new market in the orchard of the "Orfes", it was believed necessary to temporarily install the market in the lot of the old convent of Sant Josep to be able to remove it from the middle of la Rambla. That's why the houses that surround and frame the market of the Boqueria form porches, that are not like the present market, but to the projected Plaza del Trabajo, in style of the Real. In 1836 when the convent of the Carmelitas dissapeared with it's church of Saint Josep, the city hall projected the construction of the market. The project was in charge of the architect Mas Vilá. That year the market was inaugurated. 

St. Joseph's day in 1840 the first stone of the market of la Boqueria was placed. In 1848 was constructed an enclosure for the fishmonger's shop behind the palace of the Virreina. Also was built the pavilion "Repeso" that would later become the office of the Direction and Veterinary Services. The new market was insufficient. - In 1853 the market acquired to official character when 14 florists paid their tables, and they were uniformed. This is the origin of the florists of la Rambla. -In 1861 some fruits and vegetables salesmen wer allowed to settle provisionally at Plaza Sant Agustí and it was then when la Rambla remained exclusively for flower stands. Many salesmen gave out a flower for the purchase of some of their products. The sale of flowers increased. - In 1863, the retail places of fruits and vegetables, settled underneath the porches. - In the 1869 the convent of Jerusalen was demolished, behind the market to extend it in that direction. - In Christmas of 1871, the gas illumination was inaugurated. In 1911 the actual fishmonger's shop was built. In the beginning of the XIX century, la Rambla had from Carme st. to la Petxina, the width that has today the front part of the Palace of the Virreina. In the space between the houses and the trees, was the market divided in differentiated sectors (according to the product that was dealt).

==== 1901 - 2007 ====

In 1914 the market with the metal deck was inaugurated. As from there it began to modernize and to improve, not only at sanitary level, aesthetic, and decorative. These places have been demolished several times. Before in Plaza Galdrich (of the farmers) there were wooden shaks, where gentlemen with a typewriter wrote up what people asked them to. Long lines formed. These services we give them today at the information point.


==== Today ====

Throughout the years La Boqueria has become the most emblematic market of all the network. The structure, the situation, and the salesmen turn it into an obligated (must-see) to all the tourists who visit our city. This market has for the Barcelonians, the suggestion of a family memoire, it's entwined with the city history, of all our families, their popular traditions and celebrations. The present salesmen are mostly, of the third and fourth generation of salesmen of the market. They are the union of the past with the present. Inovators, full of projects and renovation ideas of la Boqueria for the new Barcelona. The commercial supply is vary; fresh fish and seafood, salty fish, tinned food, butchery and offal, birds, hunt and eggs, fruits and vegetables, herbes and dietetic, delicatessen, bread furnace, restaurants, frozens, specialities, charcuterie, farmer stops, etc...