Abelardo L. Rodriguez Market, Mexico City

The Abelardo L. Rodriguez Market is a traditional public market located in the historic center of Mexico City, northeast of the main plaza, or Zocalo. It was built in 1934 as a prototype for a more modern marketplace and has a number of unusual features such as day care and an auditorium. However, the markets most distinctive feature is the approximately 1,450 square metres of wall and ceiling space covered in murals. These murals were painted by students of Diego Rivera and under his supervision. The works mostly reflect socialist themes, such as the exploitation of workers, peasants and miners, the fight against Nazism and fascism, and racial discrimination. Earthquakes, time, humidity and vandalism took their toll on the murals from the time they were painted until restoration began in January 2009. Restoration work is expected to take almost two years.

The market was constructed in 1934 in what was part of the grounds of the San Pedro y San Pablo College. The architect was Antonio Muñoz, who mixed Baroque, Belle Époque, Art Nouveau and Art Deco elements into the building. The market has an area of 12,450 square metres and is the main market for foodstuffs in this part of the city. Upon completion, it was named after the president of Mexico who ordered the complex built. Eventually, the area around this market became known as “Abelardo.”

This market was the second major market built in Mexico City in the first decades of the 20th century, after the Dos de Abril Market built in 1912. Like its predecessor, the Abelard L. Rodriguez market was intended to be a prototype for a new, more modern popular marketplace, first for the large size of the market and second for a number of extra services offered within the building, such as day care centers, youth centers and libraries.

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