EL MERCADO DE SEGUNDA MANO MAS ANTIGUO DE EUROPA: ENCANTS VELLS

SUBSCRIBE:    / @barcelonamemory   BECOME A MEMBER:    / @barcelonamemory   WEB: http://barcelonamemory.com/ INSTAGRAM:   / barcelonamemory   FACEBOOK:   / barcelonamemory   CONTACT: [email protected] TIP FOR DONATIONS: https://es.tipeee.com/barcelona-memory In 13th-century Barcelona, ​​there were about 40,000 residents. The original church of the same name stood in what is now Plaça de Sant Jaume. In its porticoes, Jews used to hold auctions of clothes belonging to the deceased, sell tailors' scraps, old rags, and books discarded by booksellers. In 1380, Barcelona residents, affected by the credit crisis, blamed the Jews for their economic woes. Tensions finally exploded on August 5, 1391, when a mob of Christians attacked the city's Jewish quarter, killing around 300 people. Barcelona's Jewish community, the largest in Europe, had been founded in the 10th century and numbered around 4,000 members. After the massacre, some Jews converted to Christianity or fled the city. Many settled outside the city walls, in the Call Menor, also known as Call de N'Àngela or Call d'En Sanahuja. In 1392, the call's tower was demolished to renovate the square. As a result, the Encants market was temporarily moved to Plaça Nova, opposite the cathedral, where the food and old furniture market was located. In 1430, the Encants market moved to the "Votes dels Fusters" (Votes dels Fusters), which is known today as the "Voltes dels Encants" (Volts of Encants). The market was located between Consolat de Mar Street, near the Pla de Palau, and the Lonja (Land Exchange), which was being built. The market remained at this location for 500 years. During the French occupation, the Bellcaire Fair was established outside the walls, at the current intersection of Ronda de Sant Pere and Passeig Sant Juan. In 1808, the Encants market moved to La Rambla, between Portaferrissa Street, the Church of Belén, and the Cuartel dels Estudis (Student Barracks). At this location, the market became known as "Encants Vells" (Old Encants) and was held on Sunday mornings. In 1822, the stalls selling old clothes, junk, and antiques from the Encantes market moved back to the Paseo de la Explanada, between the Born district and the Sant Agustí Vell convent. In 1833, confusion began between the Encantes market and the Bellcaire fair when some of the stallholders from the Encantes market, unhappy with the move to the Paseo de la Explanada, returned to Consolat de Mar Street, next to the current Post Office building. This location hosted public auctions, as well as stalls selling itinerant dentists, hardware dealers, secondhand booksellers, perfumers, stain removers, and cobblers. The Encantes stalls were open on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while the Bellcaire fair was held only on Sundays. The etymology of the term "Bellcaire" is controversial. Some experts believe it originates from the luxury market of Beaucairey, a municipality in Languedoc-Roussillon. However, folklorist Joan Amades believed the term comes from "vell caire," "old character," referring to secondhand goods. The term "encantes" comes from the fact that the prices of items were sung aloud, hence the term "en cants." Recent research by the Clot-Camp de l'Arpa History Workshop has shown that the Bellcaire fair actually dates back to the early 19th century, not the medieval period. After the demolition of the walls in 1854, the area between the current Plaza de España, Gran Vía, Ronda de Sant Antonio, Sant Pau, and the Paral lel square was a large esplanade that, over the years, would shape the Sant Antonio neighborhood. In 1882, Barcelona City Council decided to temporarily move the Bellcaire fair to the Mercat del Pedró, and the Encants to the Cruz Cubierta, near the San Antonio market. The order did not please the vendors, who feared that not enough customers would come to such a sparsely populated area. On the eve of the 1888 Universal Exposition, there were still some secondhand stalls on Consolat de Mar Street, which spoiled the surroundings of Paseo Colón, where the exposition was held. Furthermore, many local merchants complained that the stallholders were competing with them by selling new items without paying the corresponding taxes. To read the full text, visit our website www.barcelonamemory.com