Historic Sant Antoni market re-opens after nine years of reforms

It’s been a long time coming. After eight and a half years of reforms, the iconic Sant Antoni market in the centre of Barcelona has opened its doors to the public once again. But its renovation has not been easy, with neighbour complaints, nor has it been cheap. All in all, it has cost around 80 million euros to restore the 19^th century building to its former glory.

Its reopening has been called “a great milestone” for the city by Agustí Colom, councillor for tourism, commerce and markets. Designed by Catalan architect Antoni Rovira i Trias back in 1882, it is a seminal piece of architecture in the heart of the capital.

Worth the wait

Sant Antoni market will house a total of 235 establishments. 52 of these will be dedicated to fresh produce, 105 will make up a flea market, and 78 to the neighbourhood’s Sunday book market. The whole area of the renovated market area of Sant Antoni covers 53,388 square metres.

The supermarket Lidl has also set up shop in the market, and it will also be home to a gym, so people can do a bit of shopping before or after a heavy workout.

The majority of stallholders assured that all this time waiting to install themselves in the historic building “has been worth the trouble,” as was the case for Joan Miquel Argudo.

Curious

On its inauguration day, the market was filled with people. There were the usual local buyers, but also the curious-minded from other neighbourhoods came along to see the finished work. One local client said that he "did not like” that there were so many people coming along to have a “look,” stating that he hoped normality would return soon. 

Indeed, this is one of the challenges faced by the market, and mentioned by Agustí Colom himself. With regard to it becoming a major tourist attraction, as is the case with La Boqueria market nearby, Colom  stated that there is already a plan in place to prevent  it “losing the essence” of being “a neighbourhood market.”

Although it is a special day today, there are challenges ahead. Sant Antoni is one of the Catalan capital's areas that has been suffering the onslaught of gentrification in recent years, with prices on the constant rise. Time will tell what impact the renovation of the market will have on this ongoing trend in the neighbourhood.

Opening hours

The flea market will open four days a week: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, while the fresh produce part of the market will open from Monday to Saturday, from eight in the morning to eight in the evening. The book market will only open on Sundays, and will be located on the perimeter of the building.