Valencia is lucky to have several architectural jewels, and we are going to talk to you now about one of the most dazzling.
It was the first half of the nineteenth century when a market was opened in the place that had long been occupied by street traders. But that New Market, as it was called, never really took off among the people of Valencia, basically because of its absence of a roof and its rather scarce space. A city with the importance and dimensions that Valencia was acquiring needed something else, so several competitions were organised for a renovation project and the one by architects Alejandro Soler March and Francisco Guardia Vial was chosen. It was the beginning of the last century, and modernism was strong, so the idea was impregnated with that unmistakable and beautiful aesthetic trend.
Therefore, the original New Market was demolished with the great help of King Alfonso XIII, who gave a few symbolic taps with a silver picket on the ground to mark the beginning of the construction, and then the works that were to transform forever the face of this area of the city began. In 1928, after some disagreements and a change in the management of the site, the Mercado Central was completed, and the wealthy families of the city celebrated by inviting more than two thousand people for lunch.
It was clear that the building, next to the famous Lonja de la Seda, was spectacularly beautiful. From its façade to its marvellous domes it formed a unique setting that today, almost a century later, houses some 300 stalls and the passing of an infinite number of visitors who do not know very well where to look. On the one hand, there is the binge of aromas and colours, and on the other an aesthetic of glass, iron and ceramics that has regained all its splendour after the refurbishment that took place a few years ago.
So, even though it's not exactly a temple, there's always something ritual about walking on this scenario. Especially for those who know how to enjoy food. We are talking about one of the largest markets for fresh products in all of Europe and, at the same time, a treasure of Valencia's modernism, from its very foundations to the weather vane, called the "Cotorra del Mercat," which finishes off the great central dome. Believe us: it would be a mistake to walk around Valencia and miss it.
