Plaza del Mercat

Streets - Outskirts | Palma de Mallorca

The Plaza del Mercat is located in Palma, on the island of Mallorca. This place, before the construction of the third enclosure of walls of Medina Mayurqa, in the eleventh century, was covered by the waters of a cove that was the mouth of the torrent Exequin, Arabic name of the Riera. This third enclosure passed through the center of the square, which had already dried up the creek and had become the bed of the torrent that reached the current Paseo del Borne. Since the 12th century, the time of the Almoravids, the market was held here. In the 13th century this square received the name of Santa Margalida la Vella because just after the conquest of Mallorca (1229) until 1278 in the current Can Berga house a convent of Augustinian nuns of Santa Margalida was installed. In 1302, by privilege of King Jaume II of Mallorca, the installation of the market was allowed every Saturday. Until 1613, most of the space was occupied by the bed of the torrent that hindered trade. From 1712 there is news about the fencing of oxen, old bull races, in this space. During the 18th century and part of the 19th century it was a place for public excursions, since there were the forcas, which used to be on the quay. At the beginning of the 19th century trees were planted in such a way that it became a promenade linking the Rambla and the Borne. In this square is the church of Santo Nicolau. In the center of the square is the sculptural ensemble in homage to Antoni Maura (1853-1925), president of the Spanish government on several occasions.