The plaza where the market stands today was originally home to the San Miguel de los Octoes church, which dated back to at least the early 13th century. After the church was completely demolished in 1809, an open-air fish market began to take place on the same square.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the fish market was lucrative, it was also crowded and dirty, and city officials began to look for a solution in the late 19th century. Work soon began on a covered market that would occupy the same space, with Spanish architect Alfonso Dub\u00e9 taking charge of the project. His vision was to pay homage to the other wrought-iron covered markets that were popping up across Europe, drawing on Paris’ Les Halles market as inspiration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The resulting structure\u2014the San Miguel Market as we know it today\u2014is truly a work of art. Inaugurated in 1916, it was one of the first covered markets in the city and is a classic example of early 20th-century architecture. It remains the only market of its kind in Madrid due to many others like it being demolished in the late 20th century. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 1980s, Spaniards’ shopping habits had changed drastically. Business shifted from markets to larger grocery chains, and the traditional Mercado de San Miguel fell into decline. A group of investors saved San Miguel from a similar fate and renovated the market into the gastronomic center it is today. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n