Ver-o-Peso Market

The name means see the weight, from the colonial customs post that checked goods coming off the river, and the market has run on this quay for centuries. The iron Mercado de Ferro with its four turrets was prefabricated in England and assembled here in 1901. The fish hall opens before dawn with pirarucu, tambaqui, filhote and dozens of species that have no names in English; the fruit section carries acai, cupuacu, bacuri, taperebá and murici; and the herb stalls sell bark, roots, resins and bottled preparations for ailments, love and protection, which is the part visitors remember. Boats unload at the quay behind. It is crowded, wet underfoot and loud, and it is the working market of the city rather than a display.

History

In 1625 the Portuguese set up the Casa de Haver o Peso on the Piri creek to weigh and tax the goods brought to Belém, the great trading post for the products of the Amazon, and in 1803 the creek was filled and its mouth turned into the Ver-o-Peso dock and the Pedra do Peixe. The tax post was closed in 1839, its house was leased for selling fish and pulled down in 1847, and after La Rocque Pinto and Company won the tender in 1897, the iron fish market designed by Henrique La Rocque was begun in 1899 and opened in 1901 (Wikipedia, Ver-o-peso).

Highlights

• An English iron hall - prefabricated and assembled on the quay in 1901.
• Amazon fish before dawn - pirarucu, tambaqui and species without English names.
• Fruit you will not know - cupuacu, bacuri, taperebá, murici and more.
• The herb stalls - barks, roots and preparations for every purpose.

When to go

All year, arriving early - the fish trade is done by mid-morning. Two hours.

Before you go

It is crowded, slippery and pungent, and pickpocketing is a real problem - carry little and keep it in front of you. The tourist stalls at the edges are much less interesting than the working sections. Very little English is spoken.

Nearby

The Cidade Velha and Forte do Presepio are alongside; Marajo boats leave nearby.

Key facts