La Boqueria market Barcelona. La Boqueria will be partly closed until the end of March 2023 while a new surface is being made. La Boqueria is a fresh food market located on the Rambla street in Barcelona. It is Barcelona's oldest and most historic market and famous for the quality and diversity of its wares. It is said of la Boqueria market that "if the unicorn existed you could buy it here!" The Boqueria market dates back to the middle ages and the oldest record of a market on this spot is from 1217.

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At that time la Rambla was a stream ourside the city walls and the stall holders were outside the walls and did not have to pay taxes. The present La Boqueria market is also known as the Mercat de Sant Josep (Saint Joseph's market) because it is located on a site of a former Sant Josep convent. The present market is still on the site originally intended as the courtyard of Sant Josep church.

In 1835  the St. James's night riots ended with the burning of a dozen monasteries and churches on and near La Rambla including Saint Josephs. Soon after monastic properties were confiscated by the state during the ecclesiastical confiscations of Mendizábal in Spain from 1835 to 1837 and the former convent of Saint Joseph was occupied by market merchants who until then were selling their wares on La Rambla.

The Boqueria market foundation stone was laid on St. Joseps Day in 1840 and an ounce of gold and several gold coins were placed under the foundation stone as a symbol of the riches that this new market would bring. The Boqueria market was an open-air market until 1914 when the metal roof was added.

Since then there have been several renovations, but it still retains the old market atmosphere and its position as Spain's largest market. The story of how the market got the name Boqueria is that the King's representative once gave a demonstration of how to butcher "boc" which is a Catalan name for mountain goat. 

Today la Boqueria is both a charming food market and a tourist attraction with two famous tapas bars, where you can enjoy fresh market food prepared the old fashioned way. Check out the Boqueria market website for details of individual stalls and the famous tapas bars in La Boqueria market which are El Quim de la Boqueria and el Pinotxo de la Boqueria.

Opening times La Boqueria market:
Monday to Saturday 08.00 to 20.30
Closed on summer Sundays and bank holidays

Book Boqueria visit / paella workshop
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El Quim de la Boqueria
El Pinotxo de la Boqueria
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