Antes de trasladarse a este lugar, los vendedores se reunían justo fuera de las antiguas murallas de la ciudad para esquivar los impuestos de importación locales. Algunos historiadores dicen que el nombre Boquería proviene de 'boc', que significa cabra, ya que vendían carne de cabra más barata. Otros prefieren la idea romántica de que proviene de 'bocabadat', que significa dejar a la gente boquiabierta de asombro. La aplicación tiene una interesante comparación que muestra cómo se veía este lugar en 1874. Se puede ver cómo el mercado al aire libre se transformó drásticamente cuando añadieron esa hermosa cubierta de hierro modernista en 1914.
Si tiene planeado comprar, el mercado abre de lunes a sábado de 8:00 a 20:30, y cierra los domingos. Ahora, dejemos atrás el mercado y continuemos nuestro paseo por las Ramblas hacia el gran teatro de la ópera, el Liceu, que está a solo cuatro minutos a pie.
Inside, the market is a chaotic, vibrant maze, but it has always had an undercurrent of refined elegance. Some stalls have been here for generations, like fruit vendor Eduard Soley, whose family has run the exact same stall for over one hundred fifty years. Then there was Ramón Cabau, a pharmacist and lawyer who became the market's resident dandy, an impeccably dressed gentleman who always wore a tailored jacket and bow tie. He was a pioneer of modern Catalan cuisine who even helped legalize the sale of wild mushrooms in the city. But his story ended right where he loved most. In 1987, he walked into the lively market, greeted his friends, and tragically drank a glass of water laced with cyanide. The market mourned him for years. You might also hear locals talk about Juanito, who spent eighty-one years behind the counter at Bar Pinotxo, charming tourists with his colorful vests. This market has seen it all. In 2017, a tragic terrorist attack on the Ramblas ended right in front of the market doors. For the first time in over one hundred eighty years, La Boqueria closed completely. But the very next day, the vendors returned, filling the stalls and the street with flowers. Devastation seems to always give way to something deeply enduring here.
If you plan to shop, the market is open Monday through Saturday from 8 AM to 8:30 PM, and closed on Sundays. Now, let us leave the market behind and continue our walk further down the Ramblas toward the grand opera house, the Liceu, which is just a four-minute stroll away.
.jpg){kind=link}
