One of the most popular markets in Barcelona, La Boqueria welcomes more visitors daily than the Sagrada Família! Already a market area since the 12th century, the location was popular with peasants who used to sell their goods outside the city to avoid taxation. Where does the name of the market derive from? Boc, meaning goat in Catalan, was the type of meat sold here. In 1835, the local authorities decided to create a dedicated space to host the market and, to this end, the 16th-century convent of Sant Josep, which is the market’s official name, was destroyed. A neoclassical square made its appearance but remained incomplete for almost a century, until 1914. It was, then, covered with iron and glass taking its current form. What makes it so special is, therefore, its hybrid nature; boasting a melange of influences from different periods, it is neither neoclassical nor industrial, but both!