“Mercado de Santa Clara” is a flea market where you can find anything from antiques to fresh vegetables. If you get lucky, you can find artists who sell artisanal crafts to your taste. The pricing is also quite reasonable in “Mercado de Santa Clara”. Each stall has its distinct items and you must have careful eyes to find interesting items as you stroll through the place. “Mercado” is not the most touristy place, it is the right fit for you if you want to have a small taste of the Lisbon’s local life and its energetic people.
You can spare a whole day around the “Mercado de Santa Clara”. If you choose a Tuesday or a Saturday, you can start the day early with a visit to “Feira da Ladra” and then continue with “Panteão Nacional” and the church of “São Vicente de Fora”.
1Feira da Ladra
Feira da Ladra is thought to mean “the fair of thieves” but it is derived from the Portuguese word for “flea”. It is thought to be the most iconic market of Lisbon, it even found a place in a poem of Sérgio Godinho. The tradition of this market is thought to be dating back to the 12th century. You can find this market around the Mercado de Santa Clara every Tuesday and Saturday between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. You should go to Feira da Ladra early in the morning to wander around many interesting second-hand items. Keep in mind that all of the good bargain is sold until the early afternoon and you’ll be left only with the junk if you go towards the closing hour. Also do not forget to bargain for the price!
2The Architecture of Mercado de Santa Clara
Mercado de Santa Clara’s history dates back to the 19th century. Its architect Emiliano Augusto de Bettencourt designed the Mercado’s project to be one of the first commercial buildings in Lisbon. In the design, you can see the mixture of two materials: iron and glass, which was the characteristic design of the late 19th century.
3How to get to Mercado de Santa Clara
You can take the metro and get off at the station “Santa Apolónia”, Mercado de Santa Clara is a 4-minute walk from the station. “Santa Apolónia” is the final stop of the blue line. Alternatively, you can get off at the “Martim Moniz” and make a longer walk.
Mercado de Santa Clara is only 1 minute away from the “National Pantheon”.
