Sant Antoni District and Market
The best example of iron architecture in Barcelona
Sant Antoni is a lively and commercial neighborhood with bustling street life. It is home to Barcelona’s largest market, designed by Antoni Rovira i Trias. The fully renovated Sant Antoni Market has become the central hub of a neighborhood that, in recent years, has turned into a reference point for young urbanites.
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The neighborhood with Barcelona’s largest and most iconic market
Sant Antoni’s origins trace back to the convent of Sant Antoni Abat, built in the 15th century near Barcelona’s medieval walls.
This neighborhood boasts one of Barcelona’s most impressive markets, renowned for its high-quality design, structure, and decorative elements, making it the finest example of iron architecture in the city.
In recent years, the area surrounding the market has seen the emergence of numerous new shops, bars, and entertainment venues, turning it into one of Barcelona’s most vibrant districts.
On Sundays, the Sant Antoni Market transforms into a haven for collectors, where visitors can find second-hand books, comics, video games, CDs and vinyl records, albums, stamps, and more.
The market is a striking iron structure, built between 1879 and 1882, inspired by the Halles de Paris. Since its inception, it has combined three different markets in one: food, Encants (flea market), and the Sunday market.
The market spans an entire block in the Eixample district, structured into four sections forming a cross along the square’s diagonals. At their intersection, an octagonal dome-like feature rises above the roof.
In 2007, the market closed for a full renovation led by architects Pere Joan Ravetllat, Carme Ribas, and Olga Schmid. After the restoration, the space gained additional surface area, and the old inner courtyards were repurposed as public squares.
How to get to Sant Antoni?
Sant Antoni is bordered by Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes (from Plaça d’Espanya to Plaça de la Universitat), Ronda de Sant Antoni, Ronda de Sant Pau, and Paral·lel Avenue. You can easily explore it from the Plaça d’Espanya stop on the Red Route of the Barcelona Bus Turístic.
If you want to head straight to Sant Antoni Market, we recommend getting off at the Sant Antoni stop on the Blue Route.
For the curious
- The market’s wrought iron was produced in the workshops of Maquinista Terrestre i Marítima.
- During the renovation works, archaeologists uncovered the Sant Antoni Bastion—one of the 11 fortifications in the medieval wall—a 16th-century farmhouse, and even a section of a Roman road, all of which will be displayed in museum spaces incorporated into the restoration project.
- The lower level of the market is an open space where young people practice various urban dance styles.
