Northern Spain's capital of the Basque province of Vizcaya, Bilbao, houses the Mercado de la Ribera, a market square. It is situated next to Casco Viejo on the right bank of the Nervión estuary. It is the largest covered market in Europe with a commercial space of 10,000 m2. There are vendors inside selling various goods, including fresh food. It is organised based on the kind of marketed goods.

There is even a location designated for the direct selling of goods made on the farmhouses, the nation's tiny farms.

On the banks of the Nervión estuary, in Ribera street, is where you'll find the Ribera market. It is located in the historic Plaza Mayor. The San Antón church and the town hall from the time it was constructed are right next to it. The market is home to the San Antón Bridge and the Conde de Mirasol pedestrian bridge.

Between the estuary's banks and the Casco Viejo buildings—commonly referred to as "Las Siete Calles," one of the city's main commercial districts—is where Calle Ribera is built. Bus, trolley, and other forms of public transportation are all available for getting there. The market may be reached by Euskotren narrow-gauge railway station in about three minutes.

The market district of Bilbao was formed in the 14th century in the Plaza Vieja or Plaza Mayor, next to the church of San Antón.

The various stalls had started to be covered by 1840, and by 1870 all of the stalls were covered with a canopy to provide stable shelter from the bad weather. A much larger enclosure was quickly constructed in cast iron, wrought iron, and glass, adhering to the modernist architectural style of the day. This new enclosure kept a walkway for pedestrians inside while closing off parts of the sides. This enclosure had a significant heat concentration issue, which necessitated the construction of an irrigation system on the roof to keep the interior temperature from rising to intolerable levels. Fish, milk, and meat quality monitoring services were developed in 1850.

To enhance the number of stalls, it was decided to construct a new market in 1928. A new reinforced concrete structure that was created by architect Pedro de Ispizua in the period's rationalist style was dedicated on August 22, 1929. The project, whose goal was functionality, was based on open spaces without interior columns, good ventilation to prevent unpleasant odours, and very careful natural lighting, including the use of large windows, lattice, and rosettes as well as translucent materials to allow zenithal light to pass from one floor to the next. An eclectic art deco style is created by all of this and the façade decoration.

General Primo de Rivera and other members of the then-Spanish government attended the inauguration, which took place in the midst of Bilbao's festivities.

When Mercabilbao opened in Vizcaya as a distribution hub for fresh goods, the Ribera market stopped serving as the area's wholesalers' supply hub and changed into a "neighbourhood market" for the Casco Viejo and Bilbao La Vieja.

It suffered significant damage in August 1983 as a result of the floods that wreaked havoc on Biscay and its city. The opportunity presented by the market's reconstruction was taken advantage of to completely renovate and modernise the facilities.
Before and after pictures of the Ribera Market's renovation.

The Mercado de la Ribera, which is regarded as the largest market in terms of the number of vendors and booths, was listed in the Guinness Book of Records in 1990 as the most comprehensive Municipal Food Market.

The Bilbao City Council gave the market's management to the vendors in 2000, but it was seized back in May 2008 when the vendors couldn't come to an agreement on its remodelling. A preliminary analysis of its structural condition was performed two years later, and the results indicated that while no obvious structural flaws could be seen, a more thorough investigation should be conducted. The building's structural condition was thoroughly investigated as a result of the municipal plan to do an interior renovation, which was ordered in 2008. The study's findings were made public by the business Labein in October, and they revealed a significant structural flaw with considerable damage to the reinforced concrete, including locations where the weight per square metre was limited to 100 kg.

The use of beach sand in the creation of concrete is the cause of the structural deterioration. It is believed that this sand's high chloride content contributed to the oxidation of the iron utilised in the concrete reinforcement, endangering the integrity of the structural support parts. Large portions of the structure had to be rebuilt as a result, and this project was started in the summer of 2009 with the promise that it would not be closed for even a single day.

On December 9, 2010, the first phase of construction, which was Emilio Puertas's design, was officially opened. It comprises the eastern, or area closest to the San Antón church, and the central portions of the building, totaling about 7,000 square metres. An additional 3,000 square metres have been added externally, with 1,300 square metres going to San Antón and the remainder to La Merced. Along with fixing the significant structural issues, the renovation brought about a fundamental shift in how natural light is managed with the addition of enormous glass panels. Additionally, the former towpath has been found.