A vast canopy of colour

The most distinctive feature of the revamped Mercat de Santa Caterina is undoubtedly its ceramic mosaic roof, which pays tribute to Antoni Gaudí. The canopy symbolically evokes the awnings that once covered the stalls and billowed in the wind.

Three façades of the former white neoclassical building have been preserved. Inside, meanwhile, the wooden ceilings add warmth to a space that must above all be functional and practical.

The history of an iconic market

The Mercat de Santa Caterina opened as a covered municipal market in 1845 on the site formerly occupied by the convent of the same name, which was burnt down on the night of Sant Jaume in 1835, during the ecclesiastical confiscations. The aim was to provide the neighbourhood with a market supplying food to residents in this part of Ciutat Vella. Decades later, during the post-war period, when many places faced food shortages, the market became a supply hub for nearby towns such as Sant Adrià, Santa Coloma, with people even travelling by train from Mataró to buy provisions.

Today, Santa Caterina is renowned for the quality and variety of its produce.

The market stands in the heart of Ciutat Vella, in the Sant Pere, Santa Caterina i la Ribera neighbourhood, one of the city’s most historic areas.