Market of San Miguel

During medieval times, this area was an open-air market surrounded by stalls (boxes) dedicated to the buying and selling of artisanal products produced by guilds. During the time of Joseph Bonaparte, the old parish church of San Miguel de los Octoes was ordered to be demolished. In its place, a small square remained where it was planned to build a market that would inherit the name of the old parish. In 1809, it was an open-air market specialized in the sale of fish. The enclosed market was built between 1913 and 1916 under the supervision of architect Alfonso Dubé y Díez, inspired by other European markets made of iron, such as Les Halles in Paris. However, its commercial activity dates back even earlier, as there was an outdoor food market in its location before.

Origins

In its origins, the site occupied by the market was the location of the parish church of San Miguel de los Octoes, where Lope de Vega was baptized. Although it is not known if the building was the original one, the parish already existed at the beginning of the 13th century, as mentioned in the Madrid Charter of 1202. The entire area, including the church, was destroyed by a terrible fire in 1790. Despite being rehabilitated, its condition remained concerning to the point that in 1804, Juan de Villanueva recommended its demolition. The demolition was carried out on November 28, 1809, by order of King Joseph I Bonaparte, as part of his policy of opening up spaces in the urban area of Madrid. The site was transformed into a public square where a market for perishable goods was held, with rows of wooden crates and stalls. The economist and former governor of Madrid, Pascual Madoz, in his Geographical-Statistical-Historical Dictionary of Spain, stated in 1847 that the street market accommodated 128 crates and 88 stalls.

During the second half of the 19th century, the hygienic and functionalist ideas of urbanists, doctors, and scientists began to gain ground, seeking to remedy the problems of dirt and unsanitary conditions in street markets. The Madrid journalist and writer Ramón de Mesonero Romanos (1803-1882), a master of custom articles, reflected in numerous writings the painful situation of the squares at that time. In addition, they caused another serious inconvenience by interfering with the growing vehicular and pedestrian traffic of the capital, as the markets attracted new sellers and buyers who spread out into the adjacent streets. In 1835, architect Joaquín Henri designed a project, which appeared in the Madrid Gazette, of which only the front facades were built to hide the crates of the market stalls from the passersby's view. However, it was not until the 1870s that the city council began to build covered markets, of which by the end of the century there were already four, all with iron structures. These were the markets of Mostenses (built-in 1875), la Cebada (1875), Chamberí (1876), and la Paz (1882). Despite the construction of these new markets, there were still not enough to meet the demand of a growing city, so outdoor markets continued to exist in public squares.

Inauguration of the covered market

The San Miguel Market was inaugurated on May 13, 1916. It had been built in two phases (the first one completed in 1914) to avoid interrupting the market's commercial activity. Its most characteristic features are the cast iron supports of the structure, the composition of the roofs, the drainage system, and the ceramic cresting that crowns the roof. The cost of the works was three hundred thousand pesetas at the time. The exterior glazing is later. San Miguel is the only remaining example of its kind of iron architecture in the city, as all the covered markets built in the last third of the 19th century were demolished and generally replaced by new constructions.

In 1999, the Community of Madrid carried out a renovation with European funds and funds from the merchants themselves, which amounted to 150 million pesetas at the time and restored the market to its original appearance. However, its commercial activity gradually declined as its facilities could not compete with modern supermarkets and shopping centers.

Today: gastronomic place

To avoid its closure, a group of individuals with interests in architecture, gastronomy, and belonging to different cultural and social spheres formed a society: El Gastrónomo de San Miguel, which is now the majority owner of the market. Their goal is to revive and improve the market's traditional activity by creating a market similar to La Boquería in Barcelona, offering high-quality products, seasonal foods, gastronomic advice, the possibility to taste items before purchase, and flexible hours. They aim to bring new life to the Madrid, Spanish, and even international culinary scene. In addition, El Gastrónomo de San Miguel wants to be part of the Madrid events agenda by organizing various activities related to leisure and culture, helping to revitalize the old town of the capital.

On May 13, 2009, the market reopened after nearly two years of renovation work by the new owners, with extended hours and a focus on artisanal products and tasting areas.

During 2020 and part of 2021, the market remained closed due to the restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain.

The building has a rectangular floor plan with its longer sides oriented along the east-west axis. It has two floors, each with an area of almost 2000 square meters. When it was a market, the stalls inside were organized along nine streets in the upper area. Nowadays, the selling stalls have been turned into bars and areas for guests to sit at high tables. To ensure the cleanliness of the premises, it was constructed with a wooden floor. The iron and glass design allows natural light to illuminate the interior.