La Boqueria facts for kids
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The Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, often called simply La Boqueria, is a huge public market in Barcelona, Spain. It's located in the Ciutat Vella area. This market is one of Barcelona's most famous places for tourists. You can find its main entrance right off La Rambla, a very popular street. It's also close to the Liceu, which is Barcelona's opera house. La Boqueria is known for its amazing variety of fresh foods and other goods.
Getting to La Boqueria
It's easy to reach La Boqueria using public transport.
- Metro: Take the Barcelona Metro to the Liceu station. This station is on Line 3.
- Bus: You can also get there by bus. Look for lines 14, 59, and 91.
A Look Back: The Market's History
The first time anyone mentioned a market in this spot was way back in 1217. At that time, people set up tables near the old city gate to sell meat. Later, starting in 1470, it became a pig market. It was known as Mercadi Bornet then.
For a long time, until 1794, it was simply called Mercat de la Palla, which means "straw market." In the beginning, this market wasn't inside a building. It was just an open space. It was seen as an extension of another market nearby, the Plaça Nova market.
The name "Boqueria" probably comes from the Catalan word boc, meaning "goat." So, a boqueria would be a place where goat meat was sold. This is similar to the French word boucherie, which means butcher shop.
Later, city leaders decided to build a proper market on La Rambla. This new market mainly sold fish and meat. The market wasn't officially recognized until 1826. In 1835, a decision was made to build a permanent structure for it.
Construction started on March 19, 1840. An architect named Mas Vilá was in charge. The market officially opened that same year, but the building plans changed many times. The grand opening of the final structure happened in 1853. In 1911, a new section for selling fish opened. The metal roof you see today was added in 1914.
See Also
- Other markets in Barcelona
For more information in Spanish, check out: La Boquería para niños
