Mercat de Sant Antoni, Barcelona, Guida per visitatori e cosa fare nei dintorni

The Mercat de Sant Antoni is a covered food market in the Sant Antoni neighbourhood of Barcelona's Eixample district. Designed by the architect Antoni Rovira i Trias and opened in 1882, it fills an entire block between four streets. It reopened in May 2018 after a long renovation and is still a working market, well known for its Sunday book market.

The story behind it

Construction began in 1879 under Antoni Rovira i Trias, who took his inspiration from the iron and glass market halls of Paris. The market was inaugurated by the mayor, Rius i Taulet, during the city's main festival, and it opened to the public the next day. It was planned within Ildefons Cerdà's Eixample scheme as a supply centre for the area around the old Sant Antoni gate, at the edge of where the city walls once stood.

The building is protected as a Cultural Property of Local Interest. In 2007 the city marked its 125th anniversary, and the renovated market that stands today was inaugurated in May 2018. Beyond food, the market is part of the neighbourhood's weekly life, especially on Sundays when book lovers and collectors gather around it.

What to look for

• The scale of the building: it takes up a whole block, so walk around the outside to appreciate how large it is.
• The iron and glass structure, a style that echoes the great Paris market halls that inspired Rovira i Trias.
• The fresh food stalls inside, where locals still do their daily shopping.
• On Sundays, the book and collectors' stalls in the streets around the market, a good place to browse old books and other collectables.

Tips for your visit

• Walking in is free, and you can wander the stalls without buying anything. Check current opening hours before you go, as they vary by day.
• Allow 30 to 45 minutes for the market itself, longer if you want to browse the Sunday book stalls.
• Go in the morning for the freshest produce and the liveliest atmosphere.
• The market sits on Carrer del Comte d'Urgell, so combine it with a stroll through the surrounding Eixample streets, which are full of cafes and small shops.

See it on a quest

The market is a stop on Iconic Barcelona: The Hidden Treasure of Joan Miró, a self-guided walk with a Joan Miró theme. You reach the market on foot as one stop of a longer route through the city, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot. You can start whenever suits you, with no guide and no group to join, and one ticket covers the whole group.