Salamanca Market – 100 years of history, style and architecture 📷 Malaga – Spain

In the middle of one of the oldest neighbourhoods in the northern part of the city centre district lies an architectural gem enjoyed by local residents and anyone else who loves art, exoticism and history, as well as good produce.

Crossing the Armiñan bridge and walking along Cruz del Molinillo street, which then becomes San Bartolomé street, we find a building that is now 100 years old. It is a beautiful and picturesque building.

The streets here often change names, meaning that the same street, without changing and walking straight ahead, can have several names along its route. When I arrived at this place, I found that there were too many names, which is why I gave the above description. One of the streets that intersects with the previous one is Calle Salamanca, which I suppose is named after this wonderful building where the Salamanca market is located.

This building contrasts with the rest of the buildings and catches the eye from afar, due to its style, architecture, decorations, especially the mosaics and towers, which are the most striking feature as you approach the place.

When I saw it for the first time, I didn't really know what it was, but as I got closer, I saw that there were a lot of people and that it functioned as a market. Many neighbourhoods in the city have their own municipal or town hall market, where there are many stalls and even bars and cafés. The stalls offer a variety of products, especially fresh produce.

On this occasion, I wanted to pay a special visit to the place, but I found that, as it was August, many of the stalls were closed for holidays. I had never been inside, I had only passed by and admired its beauty.

I should mention that after my visit, I had to find out if this building had been used for anything else during its lifetime, and it turns out that since around 1920, it has always been a municipal market. Officially, it is called Salamanca, but it is famously known as the Molinillo market, because that is the name of the neighbourhood. I looked for information here, in case you want to know more about the place.

The first thing I did was walk around it, going all the way around it so I could enjoy every detail of its decorations, which are wonderful. It has two main entrances, and although they may not seem like it, they are identical, with towers on either side, large windows and that big arched door surrounded by mosaic decorations.

As I looked at this building, I thought how well it has been maintained despite the years and the use it has been put to. Being a market, many people pass through it and the wear and tear can be felt, yet it remains in perfect condition.

Having seen other buildings in this style, I realised that it was Neo-Mudéjar and, as I said at the beginning, all the decorations look Arabic and exotic, with mosaics and drawings on them. I love the exposed brickwork and the way it is arranged, as well as the combination with the modern railings. According to the article I am sharing with you, the architect was Daniel Rubio Sánchez, and I love the work he has done.

Perhaps for the people in the neighbourhood it is something very normal and they have internalised this building as part of the neighbourhood itself, but for me it is a great beauty that stands out among the other buildings, shops, bars and so on.

Taking the photographs was somewhat complicated, as the market is surrounded by streets and cars park around it, so I had to capture them from the pavement opposite.

Walking around this market, seeing and enjoying its exterior façade was very pleasant, being able to see it from a different angle and, I insist, seeing how well preserved it is. Outside, you can see the bars on both sides of the market and a small space that was closed at the time but sells flowers.

There are 48 stalls inside, ranging from butchers, fishmongers, greengrocers, a clothes repair stall and one selling spices. Many close at 2 p.m. and others at 3 p.m. Many were closed for holidays, which allowed me to enter without many people around and admire the interior of the market, especially the entrances with their decorations. Also, as I had never been inside before, I wanted to know what kind of products they sold. I asked for advice at one of the stalls that was open.

The interior is also decorated with mosaics and is kept in very good condition, even though the building is already 100 years old.

It has been a great discovery, very artistic and with very original architecture, in the Neo-Mudéjar style. It is different and beautiful. I am glad I visited it and also saw the interior.

Thank you very much for accompanying me today. Best regards. See you soon.
Amonet.