A while ago, in a different medium and format, I wondered how El Vendrell could be the way it is. I don't know exactly what it's like either; it's simply El Vendrell. But it's the birthplace of people like Pau Casals, Àngel Guimerà, the brothers Ramon Ramon i Vidales and Joan Ramon i Vidales, the Andreu Nin brothers, and the Lax'n'Busto family. Something like Reus or Sarral, but in the Penedès region.
Perhaps the secret isn't a secret at all. Perhaps it has to do with the everyday life that sustains towns: the squares, the cafes, the theaters… and also the markets. Spaces where the town gathers every morning and where conversation is almost as important as what's being bought. In El Vendrell, this role is still played by the El Vendrell Municipal Market, a building that has been part of the town's vibrant landscape since the late 19th century. Built in 1887 according to the design of Tarragona architect Ramon Salas Ricomà, the market reflects the wave of modernization that led many Catalan municipalities to construct covered markets. Until then, commerce had been conducted outdoors, primarily in the Plaça Vella of El Vendrell and other areas in the town center. Farmers from the surrounding areas arrived with carts laden with fruit, vegetables, and poultry, and sales took place amidst the shouts of vendors, conversations, and the constant movement of people. The new building was intended to bring order to this bustle. With a rectangular floor plan and large entrances that facilitated ventilation and natural light, the market became a modern facility for its time. Over time, it passed from its initial private ownership to municipal control and became established as one of the central hubs of daily life in El Vendrell.
Entering the market today is still quite an experience, I'd even say comforting. The stalls maintain an old-fashioned choreography: the ice on the fishmonger's counter, the knife striking the wood in the butcher's shop, the paper wrapping the purchase while the conversation inevitably drifts to news from the town, the region, the district, or the country—and the world. The market remains a place where you buy, yes, but above all, where you talk.
Like so many other markets in the country, the one in El Vendrell has had to adapt to the times. Supermarkets and changes in consumption habits have forced it to reinvent itself, but the market still retains a virtue that cannot be industrialized: proximity. Here, the product has a name, and often, it also has a seller.
Perhaps it's an exaggeration to say that markets explain the character of a town. But if Vendrell has given so many names to Catalan culture, it's surely not just by chance. Towns are also built in these everyday spaces where life unfolds without much ceremony. And the El Vendrell Municipal Market is a good example.
In the Vendrell market, "you eat what the land provides," and this land is full of geniuses.
