A strategically-placed marketThe first thing that Doctor Livingstone did, half way through the last century, when he wanted to get to the very soul of each African village he visited, was to go round the lo- cal market in the morning. This is still a valid enough method as regards a first contact with any city in the world. One of the most central and important markets of Madrid is that of San Miguel, right in the heart of the Villa.In the 16th century, the space was occupied by the church of San Miguel, where the sublime playwright and cele- brated womaniser Lope de Vega was baptised in 1562; Vega was born a stone’s throw away, at number 50, Calle Mayor. The chapel, in poor condition due to a series of fires, was demolished in 1810 by order of José Bonaparte. From that date onwards, this attractive market came into being, a colourful model of the colloquial speech, breeziness, humor, stomach, purse and life of Madrid.Loquacious street vendors yell out clearly-with identical enthusiasm-both the prices of headware and high- falutin compliments to the ladies. Because there are all kinds of the latter: ostentatious gatas, obvious foreigners, actresses, housewives, chorus girls, nuns, jamonas (‘said of well-bodiedand lively middle-aged women’), servants, rich women, poor women, passing women, hard-to-gets, cloying women, co- quettes… Women remain the talisman of Madrid, the apple of its eye. And, what’s more, almost all of them go to marketwithout wearing a mask.