The Mercado Municipal is a two-storey colonial market building dating from 1835, distinctive for the covered wooden corridor that bridges across an alley between its two wings at upper-floor level. The market is still in partial use, with stalls selling fruit, vegetables, regional sweets, and craft items on the ground floor.
The building's form — two rectangular blocks connected by a bridge — is unusual in colonial Brazilian architecture, and the story attached to the overhead walkway (see sidebar) has made it one of the most photographed elements in Diamantina. Even without the legend, the building is one of the more beautiful market structures in Minas Gerais.