Municipal Market: urban memory, heritage and living tradition in Puerto del Rosario

Origin and evolution of the building

The current Municipal Market of Puerto del Rosario, located on Teófilo Martínez Escobar Street, in the heart of the old Puerto Cabras, has an origin prior to its current configuration. The building was located next to the so-called “Playa del Lastre”, a name given by the hustle and bustle of the ships that arrived weighed down with stones and unloaded there and at other points along the coast.

In its beginnings, the building was not conceived as a market, but as the slaughterhouse of the old Puerto Cabras. It was a one-story building with a gable roof. After recent renovation work, remains of iron structures used for hanging and handling cattle were found, which is evidence of the building’s past.

Over time, the slaughterhouse fell into disuse and was converted into a traditional food market.

The transformation of 1950

After Franco’s visit to Puerto de Cabras on October 28, 1950, the Decree Law of December 11, 1950, which included an Adoption Plan for Fuerteventura and El Hierro, was enacted. Among the works planned to improve the infrastructure of Puerto de Cabras was the construction of a market place over the old slaughterhouse.

The new building adopted the neocanarian aesthetics, with:

• A large entrance atrium with three semicircular arches
• Arabic tile roof, topped with a curved pediment.
• Two large lateral bodies in the form of barracks

In 1963 the ground floor was rehabilitated, improving access and product sales.

Heritage and social value

The market has traditionally been a meeting point for producers, merchants and citizens, reflecting the economic and cultural evolution of the city. Linked to the port and the main square, it keeps the memory of generations of artisans and merchants who have worked there.

Recent renovation and new uses

The City Council of Puerto del Rosario has carried out a comprehensive rehabilitation of the building, respecting its original architecture and recovering the old slaughterhouse as a heritage space. The intervention has provided the market with new uses:

• First floor: stalls selling fresh local products (meats, cheeses, vegetables, fish).
• Upstairs: a gastromarket with a restaurant area that combines traditional Majorcan cuisine with modern proposals.

A tourist and cultural experience

Located in front of the sea, in the historic center of the capital, the Municipal Market of Puerto del Rosario is today a living urban heritage. It connects culinary tradition, sustainability and coexistence, inviting residents and visitors to learn about the food culture, history and traditions of Fuerteventura.