MercadodaCandelária

In 1840, Abbot Louis Compte made the first daguerreotype image of the city of Rio: the Antigo Mercado da Candelária, popularly known as Mercado da Praia do Peixe, near the Paço Imperial.

Image description: This is an old photograph of a market. On the left, there is a structure with a sloped roof and a large wooden frame covered by tiles. In the central part, there is a white building with several windows and balconies. On the right, there is a structure with classical architecture, including a main entrance with a large iron door. In the center of the image, people are walking and interacting, some carrying objects. Behind them, there are stalls with open awnings, where goods are displayed.

The construction of the market that preceded the traditional Mercado Municipal in Praça XV was decided by the city council in 1834, with the aim of controlling the sales made by street vendors, carried out mainly by escravos de ganho (enslaved people hired out for work). It was designed that same year by one of the members of the French Artistic Mission, the architect Grandjean de Montigny, but was only completed in 1841. Built by the seaside, under the supervision of councilman Manuel Teixeira da Costa e Silva, it gave the largo do Paço a more dignified and organized look for trade in the area.

The Mercado da Candelária was located near the Cais Pharoux, in a spacious, airy quadrangular building. It had 16 windows on each facade and 4 doors through which customers entered. At its center stood a beautiful stone fountain, decorated with 4 bronze dolphins. In 1869 and 1870, it gained an additional floor and 3 more annex pavilions.

Image description: This is an old black-and-white photograph of a market located in Candelária, Rio de Janeiro. From left to right, we see a series of buildings with sloped roofs and regularly spaced windows. In the center, there is a large building with classical architecture, possibly a church or temple, standing out for its bell tower. To the right, other smaller buildings complete the urban setting. In the foreground, trees and a tile-covered structure are visible, suggesting a public space or market.

There, everything was sold, from fish, fresh vegetables, medicinal herbs, eggs, drinks, and various objects, to animals of several species of Brazilian fauna. It was a place of great concentration of people, very busy and important for the Rio de Janeiro of that time.

Image description: This is an old black-and-white photograph. The image shows a harbor with several boats on the left and people walking along the pier. In the center, there is a building with a sloped roof and a tower. On the right, there is a wooden structure and a stone wall. People are scattered around the harbor and the pier, some near the water, others walking or talking.

In the early 20th century, Mercado da Candelária fell into decline; it was hit by a series of fires, along with countless complaints from the population about its precarious conditions, until it was demolished in 1911. In its place, the Rio Stock Exchange's convention center and the Court of Justice's administrative center are located today. Mercado Municipal, opened in 1907, took over Mercado da Candelária's function. But it too was demolished to make way for the Perimetral elevated highway in 1963, which was, in turn, torn down in 2013.

So much destruction, right? And there are many stories of demolition of important buildings and historical heritage sites in our city... Do we really always need to destroy in order to put something else in its place? Isn't it possible to imagine a more sustainable city, one that preserves its history, its memory, and its heritage?