# Market square

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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Market_square
> Source revision: 1340071696
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{{Short description|Square meant for trading, in which a market is held}}
{{For|place names and other uses|Market Square (disambiguation)}}
A '''market square''' (also known as a '''[market place](/source/market_place)''') is an [urban square](/source/Town_square) meant for trading, in which a market is held.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/amp/english/market-square|title=Market square definition and meaning|website=Collins English Dictionary|publisher=Harper Collins Publishers|access-date=2019-01-13}}</ref> It is an important feature of many towns and cities around the world.<ref name=pps>{{Cite web |title=The World's Best Squares (2005) |url=https://www.pps.org/article/internationalsquares |access-date=2024-11-26 |website=www.pps.org}}</ref> A market square is an open area where [market stall](/source/market_stall)s are traditionally set out for trading, commonly on one particular day of the week known as ''market day''.

A typical [English](/source/England) market square consists of a square or rectangular area, or sometimes just a widening of the main street. It is usually in the centre of the town, surrounded by major buildings such as the [parish church](/source/parish_church), [town hall](/source/town_hall), important [shop](/source/Retailing)s and [hotel](/source/hotel)s, and the [post office](/source/post_office), together with smaller shops and business premises. There is sometimes a permanent covered [market building](/source/Market_hall) or a [cloth hall](/source/cloth_hall), and the entire area is a traditional meeting place for local people as well as a centre for trade.

<gallery class="center" widths="220" heights="190">
File:Rynek Starego Miasta We Wroclawiu (152991773).jpeg|[Market Square, Wrocław](/source/Market_Square%2C_Wroc%C5%82aw), [Poland](/source/Poland)
File:Sukiennice and Main Market Square Krakow Poland.JPG|[Main Square, Kraków](/source/Main_Square%2C_Krak%C3%B3w), [Poland](/source/Poland)
File:SM Ostrów Wielkopolski Ratusz 2022 (3753).jpg|Market Square in [Ostrów Wielkopolski](/source/Ostr%C3%B3w_Wielkopolski), Poland
File:14-08-12-helsinki-RalfR-N3S 0357-035.jpg|[Market Square, Helsinki](/source/Market_Square%2C_Helsinki), [Finland](/source/Finland)
File:Alte Markt Dortmund.JPG|Market Square in [Dortmund](/source/Dortmund), [Westphalia](/source/Westphalia), [Germany](/source/Germany)
File:Market Square, Cambridge - geograph.org.uk - 3490535.jpg|Market square in [Cambridge](/source/Cambridge), [Cambridgeshire](/source/Cambridgeshire), [England](/source/England)
File:Saturday market in Red Lion Square - geograph.org.uk - 3551701.jpg|Market square in [Stamford, Lincolnshire](/source/Stamford%2C_Lincolnshire), [England](/source/England)
File:Plaza Mayor de Madrid 06.jpg|Market square in [Madrid](/source/Madrid), [Spain](/source/Spain)
</gallery>

== See also ==
{{Commons category|Market squares}}
* [List of city squares](/source/List_of_city_squares)
* [List of city squares by size](/source/List_of_city_squares_by_size)
* [Marketplace](/source/Marketplace)
* [Markt](/source/Markt_(disambiguation))
* [Piazza](/source/Piazza)
* [Plateia](/source/Plateia)
* [Plaza](/source/Plaza)

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Retail}}
{{Authority control}}

Category:Retail markets
Category:Market squares

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Market square](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Market_square) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Market_square?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.