Central Market of Salamanca

The Central Market of Salamanca, is the oldest market of the city. It is in the Market Square next to the magnificent Main Square of Salamanca and the little meters of the main commercial zones of the capital. In addition it is a protected architectonic work with more of a century of antiquity of the architect Joaquin de Vargas Aguirre corresponding at the beginning of XX century. Nowadays its visit is forced in all of Salamancas's tourist routes, since in addition to the aesthetic contribution of the beauty of the building, in this seat will be able to find products of the province, the best meats, fish and vegetables and all type of logistics facilities traditional.

The necessity of a Central Market.

Location

It is good to make a general review of the previous situation of the commerce in the capital before entering to us in the history of the Central Market. We could not understand the meaning of this monumental building without understanding the necessities and architecture of the time at which was designed. We have to remember that at the end of the XIX century, when the City council began to construct the building of the Central Market, the Salamanca commerce was located in different places. Between centuries XII and XIII the market was located behind the Old Cathedral of Salamanca.

With the passage of time it came to be located around the Church of San Martin, a place that began to know itself like the San Martin Square, San Martin of the Market, or simply the Square, which was a place where afterwards, the Main Square of Salamanca would be constructed. With the passage of the centuries, organizing a market became a necessity of the city which gave origin, in century XVIII, to the Main Square of Salamanca. The goal was to make a Square that was used as a market where the salesmen and the positions were protected of the inclemencies of the time.

The social evolution and the necessity of a specialized commerce, in which exclusively feeding products were sold, were the reason why the City Council began to build, at the end of century XIX, the building of the Central Market. It wanted to specially reunite in a great commercial center the different activities from the branch of the feeding, scattered at that time in different places from the city and in the place where one was going away to raise, the Vegetable Square, on the other side of the Vestibules of San Antonio.

The Central Market would be based in the lot of the Vegetable Square, today called The Market Square, adjacent with the Main Square by its side this. This covered market, the first that was made in the city, solved the necessities of shelter for merchandises, and the activities derived from its commerce.

When referring to the details of the construction of the Main Square in their book “History of Salamanca”, Villar y Macías constantly observe this aspect; they comment on the text of Don Rodrigo Caballero, promoter of the idea to construct the Square says “the main object was to raise a seat for market, but having itself still not devised the constructions that now are destined for it, a building more monumental was perhaps than from to have limited its object”.

The new seat would shelter the necessities that were invoked in the original proposal, but without fulfilling the totality of their necessities. The problem, then, would subsist until the last years of century XIX, when devised the constructions that Villar y Macías remember, the City Council decides to resolve the problem. At the same time, the Main Square and its environs make an urban preparation in which the smelting iron, material that characterizes to the Market, constitutes the main constructive and aesthetic element.

The construction of the Great Market of Supplies (1899-1909).

As well as the descriptive memory of the market, the project appears dated in December 1898 and their presentation was made in 1899. Although the time of its construction was planned for a term of two years; the time that passed between the project and its inauguration was eleven years (between August 1899 and April 1909). The local press at the time asserts that this delay was caused by economic difficulties. But although the beginning and the inauguration are eleven years aport, the reality was that only three worked.

The great periods of inactive time corresponded to the lack of money in the City council to face the certifications of the contractor and the months of inactivity motivated by the demands of greater wage by the workers. Although the number of workers varied throughout the 3 years, we can say that there was an average of 40 workers during the project. In 1899, when the decision to construct the Market was taken, Joaquin Vargas Aguirre who was in charge and wrote up the project, directed the work of the House Lily, each faithful projects to the canons of the modern age of iron of century XIX. In order to adjudge this initiative, the City council decides to remove to auction the construction which it does the 5 of August, 1899. At that time D. Mariano Reymundo, first lieutenant of mayor, was the one in charge to preside over the table and to open the three envelopes that were presented. One, of the Moneo gentlemen, another one of Julian de la Rosa, and a third of Santiago Flores. The type of budget made by the municipality was 433,635 pesetas. The bids, by indicated order, were of 429,298, 420,000 and 381,599. Therefore, 27 November 1899, Santiago Flores began construction sites; the day after having left the free seat in its central part of drawers and wood positions. The first activities were directed to the drained part of the cellar. Shortly after the excavation was slightly advancing, the first difficulties arose. The proprietors of the houses of the North facade of the seat, between Pozo Amarillo Street and slope of San Julian, protested against the narrow passage that was made between their property and the line fixed for the market. They solicit that the construction move towards the south. Therefore, new expenses that had not been budgeted are not going to facilitate the advance of the project. Finally, although the location moves three meters towards the south, the expropriation of the constructions known by Soportales of the Bread, included between the street of the Pozo Amarillo and San Julian, prevails. The new alignment backed down several meters according the presented plane of the new alignments, building houses in this lot that in some way add to the character of the Market. The variety of dates that appear in the Market exposes these delays, thus in the columns of smelting of the facades you can read, next to the inscription of the Madrilenian construction house, year 1905; in the back cover, the post of the door, year 1907; finally the Market is inaugurated 15 April 1909. This is the day when the local press describes of the new market as “something European, that encourages you to obtain a better Salamanca”. A space that emphasizes the “cleaning the dirt where there was before, ample and clean streets full of ladies and gentleman who can know whose it is what they eat, to see the prices and the quality of the merchandise”.

The architectonic value of the Market.

The Market of Salamanca connects in main lines with the family of the great markets, stations and pavilions of exhibitions of the first iron architecture. For the date in which it projects, the typology of market that mainly imposes the Halles of Paris (1854-1866) of Baltard architect, already had been developed sufficiently in Spain. In Madrid like the Market of the Barley and the Mostenses, constructed between 1870 and 1875, of the architect Mariano Calvo y Pereira; in Barcelona with the one of Born (1874-1876) of architect J. Fontseré i Mestres, or the one of San Antonio of architect A. Rovira and Trias, approximately by the same date. Also, in other provinces iron markets are constructed relative to the population increase of the cities, and therefore with greater necessities of supplying. This is the case in Valladolid, where they constructed three markets of these characteristics. The Portugalete (1878-1881) is an expressive sample of this.

The functional characteristics that these markets demanded were, basically: a simple architecture, with an easy and permanent ventilation, covers that preserved the merchandise from the strong heats as well as of the frequent colds, and extended exits that allowed the constant ventilation in addition to an easy and abundant feeding of water. Thanks to the iron of smelting used for supports and beams, and also to the crystal that with the metallic framework allowed ample closings in the outer walls, similar to the present walls curtain, the demanded functional requirements to these premises was completely fulfilled. The thinness of the supports, and the rapidity of construction were also was factors to consider. The Central Market of Salamanca has a rectangular area of 40 x 44 meters, which covers 1,760 square meters. The area is broken by slight salient bodies in the corners and doors of the facades. The Market also has a ground floor for commerce, that due to the inclination of paving, the lateral facades and the back end acquire a considerable height, the higher area forms the original market. The armor, following the constructive characteristics of the markets of the time, adopts the form of vast iron umbrella. It is made up of a system of lattice window beams that divide of the corners, and intermediate points of the facades concur in elevated rectangular first stage as a skylight and that it supports in twelve great columns of smelting. From this body, new beams of lattice window are inserted in another space of smaller dimensions, which is the base of the roundhouse. All the armor “connects, holds and unified by tightened diverse, squares, nails…”. The cover made of channeled zinc plates, adopts the form of four waters.

Their outside forms ample iron arcades, complete with closings whit panes and fixed iron blinds; between the arcades and the socle of granítica stone cloth is made of brick, whereas in the numerous corners of the facades the arcades extend in height until the cornice flanking, leaned to these brick corners twin columns of smelting which connected to each other and to the arcades by fused iron vanes, forming a metallic mesh. The union between the internal structure and the external one takes place through the lattice window beams that insert in the brick corners, which act as reinforced supports and sewings in the outside by the twin columns of smelting. Those are the main constructive characteristics. Nevertheless, since this Market is a good example of the architecture of the time, it holds a singular treatment with a clearly intentonial formality. Relying on the stylistic treatment that the facades receive, Vargas handles with evident freedom a classical vocabulary. The main cover deserves special attention to present a clear example of adaptation between the form and the function, intentional characteristic of the rationalist architecture of the XIX century. One is a transposition to the iron of the arc of Roman triumph, which in the Renaissance was reason for inspiration to make grammar transpositions, and Vargas, like the rationalists of the time, resorts to the same way, but not as renovation of one disciplines aesthetic, rather as a means of whose Tectonics satisfies the functional exigencies that the use of the iron in the new typology raises.

The transparency with that the arcs are granted main and lateral, the circular windows, the attic, without losing the characteristic rates or proportions, or the decorative moderation make an excellent cover for a building of these characteristics, an aspect that many architects with similar ideals to those of Vargas did not to do in iron, when composing the facade of a similar building. For example, imagine yourself in the Library of Santa Genoveva in Paris (1843-1850) of Henri Labrouste or in the Station of the North of Paris (1861-1864) of Jacques Hittorf, who if, as affirms Chueca Gotilla with respect to the facade of first “he responds capably to passes indoor” and considering the chronological difference or the importance of his volume or use, the stones, dealt with classic respect, hide, in a certain way, the iron of the interior. In this sense, this cover is more directly related to markets like the one of Bonn or the one of San Antonio of Barcelona, where the cover forms an organic set with the rest of the construction. About another side, the aesthetic individual, about classical cut, is more consonant with plastic or chromatic values than with criteria of stylistic valuation. In the entire history of the project, there is not a single reference to the adopted style, standing out, however, referring preoccupations to the rate, the movement of the architectonic lines or to the cromatismo, aspect this last one very in rows in the architecture of the time and special meaning in the work of Vargas.

As far as first is concerned, the Market adopts a peculiar planimetry that in certain way responds to the enclave of the lot: closed by the facades of houses that formed the Seat of the Vegetable, to this end, Vargas bankruptcy their smoothness “to be able to give more movement to the lines and to obtain architectonic effects by which she is with greater aspect and proportions", at the same time is not necessary to forget that the corners that its broken planimetry causes they act as a sustainer, shown on the outside by the reinforcement of the iron columns connected by vanes, producing a plastic effect of great structural beauty. Also he contributes to define aesthetic of the Market his chromatic style, based on the sincerity of the colors that contributes the nature of the material, lacking nevertheless the policromía of the ceramics as Vargas settled down in the memory of the initial project: “tiles of varied colors that with that brick and the individual that occurs together to the iron with claroscuro of the glasswork, will form an artistic set”. As it turned out, with other details anticipated in the project probably did not take to effect for economic reasons, being a set from certain chromatic coldness. The place that was assigned to tiles in the facades was between the twin columns of the corners that, as it can be appraised at the present time, the seen brick occupies. In the project dated in 1898 also one settled down for the center body iron blinds and nonglasswork, or also this body as a cupola was crowned with a roundhouse provided with lucenario of four crystal clothes.

A detail of great interesting simplicity but to outline the scientific character of the rationalism of Vargas is the clear image of the slopes of pluvial waters, fleeing from the custom to arrange them by the interior of the columns due to the oxidation that causes. To identical criteria it also responded the application of the painting to the iron. Thus it justified at least the creator of the project, own Vargas in the conference on the concept of 1901 architecture. The conference explained the contributions of chemistry to the architecture and emphasized: “and to the pair that speaks to us of the combination of this metal with the oxygen of the humid air, it advises to us to cover the diverse pieces with the construction of a painting layer that of that action it preserves to him”. Between the omissions that became to the initial project, it appeared one that, although did not affect the building, reduced certain character of set. One was a source with pedestal and statue, of anecdotal nature and that as much extended in exhibitions and railway stations of the time. In order to conclude, we will emphasize the importance that Vargas assigned to this work that at no moment considered secondary, thus seems to demonstrate it to the ignited defenses of the iron architecture in articles and conferences, as well as the same memory that the project accompanied by the Market, at which it introduces to the history of the markets closed from the Middle Ages to the moment, doing a special emphasis in 1851 (year of the construction of the Palace of Crystal of Pastón) with decisive date for this type of constructions; soon happening in the end to make an explicit reference to the Market as it builds hers of equal importance to other previous ones: “one more a work by projected me, occupying a site in this city”.

Finally to indicate that sadly this criterion of Vargas does not seem to be corresponded. And it is that in the Plan of the inner Reformation of the Plan Paz Maroto its demolition already settled down, as well as in the project of urbanization of Victor D´Ors.

The Regional Exhibition of Salamanca of 1907.

In the 1907, when the fairs of the Central Market was on the verge of being inaugurated - it would take almost two years - mounted in him part of the regional product exhibition and a great orchestra was even celebrated whose brilliance and animation were commented on for a long time. The references that the local press to this act are numerous, it is defined as one of greater events of the time. The newspaper "El Adelanto" described this exhibition as “a beautiful reality, honors of Salamanca, nobody could think that between us there were good taste and elements to do what it has been carried out”.

Many famous people of the capital attended the inauguration of this exhibition, such as the Mayor Garcia Tejado, the Civil Governor, the Bishop of the diocese, the Delegate of Property, the President of the Delegation, the heads of the offices of Mounts, Public Works and Mines, the President of the Hearing, the President of the Chamber of Commerce, the Head of Promotion, Vicerector of the University of Salamanca and the Garrison commander. Among the numerous works and presented facilities those of the Moneo Houses detacaron Son and company, Gros, of Barcelona, Bomati-Maldonado Afonso, Maculet, Huebra, Don Jose Garcia Martin, Mirat, Rebollo, Model of Paris and many others stood out. The different exposed elements consisted og agricultural and industrial machineries, tools, fused or forged; display cabinets with chemical installments, starch and pastes for soups; flours; oils; furniture, automobiles or sculptures and paintings of the time that would be evaluated by four groups of juries who represented agriculture, the cattle ranch, the industries and the beautiful arts.

At the moment the Central Market of Salamanca

Because of the beauty of its building, its architectonic or its history because it perfectly acts his as of center of purchases value the visit to the Central Market of Supplies is worth the trouble. The Central Market of Supplies of Salamanca makes available to the visitor all type of fresh products in the two plants in which it is divided.

In the first plant we were with two concentric ring of stores. In the outer part there are stores of all type, but mainly establishments with an ample selection of bird-raising products and rabbits, seafood (as much fresh as congealed), fish markets, slaughters and sausage shops. In this part also we can find bakeries with own furnace, in which we can acquire bread, buns, empanadas or pies.

In the central ring they are located fruit shops (with ample spurted in fruits, vegetables), and a gift shop; also this central part has banks in which to rest of one been busy tomorrow of purchases. In the inferior plant also there are slaughters in which we can find stores specialized in: casquería, hunt, tostones, cabritos and weaned lambs, bird-raising products or bull of fight among others. Like in all markets, there exists ultrasailors, a store of pickles, a store of coffee, stonewares and ceramics here and a Coffee. Also the small stores that settle in their South facade, between that we found a candy shop, a hairdressing salon, a jewelry shop, a bullfighting store, an establishment of knives or a transports company, among others comprise of the market.

Without a doubt, this is a market where we will be able to acquire all kinds of products with designation of origin of the province of Salamanca and the gastronomy of Castile and León, like the Meat of Morucha, the Cheese of Hinojosa, the flavorful Jamón de Guijuelo, the Lentils of the Armuña, the String beans of the Alberca or the ingredients necessary to elaborate a simple and flavorful prescription of the local gastronomy such as the Meneás Potatoes.

External links

* [http://salamanca.mercadocentral.org Official web of the Central Market]
* [http://www.aytosalamanca.es City Council of Salamanca]
* [http://www.jcyl.es Government of Castilla y León]
* [http://www.patrimonio-gastronomico.com Gastronomy of Castilla y León]