Mercado da Graça

Today I went to the market, because my fruit and vegetable supplies had to be replenished.

I went to the Mercado da Graça, which is located in the parish of São Pedro, in the city of Ponta Delgada.

The selection is great 🤩, there are an insane number of locate and also imported fruits and vegetables.

Every second Saturday is a special fish day, on which there are a lot of fishmongers. Today was Friday and another market visitor told me that tomorrow would be the special Saturday and I put that information into my calendar straight away ✍️🗓️.

So today there was only one fish stand, the rest of the fish hall was empty. The meat stalls, on the other hand, are always there.

The market dates back to the mid- 19th century, replacing the original trading posts for agricultural products and livestock on the south side of the Matriz church (the Mercado do Pelourinho) and in the arcades of the Cais Velho, next to the Cais da Terra (Arcadas da Feira).

This agricultural market located in the grounds of the Convent of Graça, was intended, within the ideals of liberalism that were emerging in the country, to become a new market for the city, in a proper and dignified location, in the same way as the fish Market in Corpo Santo, at Cais da Sardinha, and the livestock Market in the grounds of the Franciscan Friars' Convent at Campo de São Francisco, where the buildings of the Autonomous Port Authority are currently located .

Construction began in 1848 by resolution of the City Council on March 16 , 1847. On December 30, 1849, the Council decided on the construction of a second market in São José.

It is a very quiet and spacious market, where you are very well protected from the unstable weather and the wind here.

There is also a cheese merchant, but I write something about him independently.Read more