Mercado de Artesanías La Ciudadela

This guide to Mercado de Artesanías La Ciudadela in Mexico City traces the market from a temporary 1965 handcraft showcase built for tourists ahead of the 1968 Olympics to a permanent home for artisans from twenty-two states. You'll hear how sales dropped over the following decades, and how in 2011 the Mexican Senate considered selling the land beneath the stalls to fund a new building for itself. Listen for how the artisans who make the alebrijes and silver rings around you responded to that threat.