Old Fish Square and El Vent Sculpture, Reus

From the south-eastern facade of St. Peter's Church begins a short street that runs between the facades of identical four-story houses with arched galleries in the lower floor. Since the 15th century, there has been a place where fish were sold, which is why it bears the appropriate name: the Old Fish Square (Plaça de les pescateries velles). There was also a medieval town hall building, which eventually turned into a commercial warehouse. By the 19th century, the buildings around the fish market had fallen into disrepair and were a source of unsanitary conditions. In 1848, at the initiative of Mayor Dionisio Revuelto, the city council decided to rebuild the square. The project and construction management was entrusted to the architect Antoni Molner, and work began in 1852. During the demolition of medieval buildings, more than 300 skeletons were found under their foundations, from which it can be concluded that in the early Middle Ages there was a cemetery next to the first building of St. Peter's Church.

In the second decade of the 20th century, the square was covered with a canopy on openwork metal arches. In 1949, a new Central Market (Mercat Central) was built and trade in the square ceased. But the square was not empty for long, two years later they started selling fruits and vegetables here. In 1983, a new food market (Mercat del Carrilet) opened on the road from Reus to Salou and the square was transformed into a public space. At the same time, the metal canopy was dismantled. The ensemble of the square is included in the list of cultural heritage of Catalonia. This is one of the best examples of Catalan neoclassicism.

At the end of the Fish Square, in a nook formed by the Chapel of the Holy Communion of St. Peter's Church, there is a sculpture of El Vent (wind) by the famous Catalan sculptor Josep Jassans (1938-2006). According to the artist's idea, the graceful figure of the girl depicts the branches of a tree bending in the wind. The sculpture was installed in 1989.

As it is not surprising, but in a place where they sold fish, and then fruit, I found only statues of meat products from cattle.