Generalitat de CatalunyaGovernment of CataloniaMinistry of Enterprise and Labour

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Christ in Majesty, Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC)

Barcelona one and only

Barcelona is one of the few citieswhose personality reflects anincreasingly clear, yet ever changingand multifarious image the more youget to know them. Even fewer arethose which reveal such startlingcontrasts, as between worlds beatingwith a different pulse. Barcelona is amany-hued, vital city that changeswith the light as the hours go by andfluctuates with the seasons. It is asocial mosaic, all of whose piecesbear the imprint of the slow historicalprocess that has made it unique.

Barcelona is a two thousand-year-old city, the capital of a countrywith a millennium of history–Catalonia– to which it givescohesion. Its whole past is projectedinto its present; in its buildings andstreets the story of its growth fromancient times is clearly written. It isthe essentially maritime capital of apeople of merchants and sailors. Inshort, it is a Mediterranean city.

Its unrivalled location and beautyare matched by the friendliness of itspeople. Its tradition of initiative, hardwork and creativity is largely theproduct of the repeated influxes offoreign blood that are the lot of allcosmopolitan, hospitable, open-minded cities, and these factorsdoubtless also account for the vitalityof its population and for its richcultural and artistic heritage.

Barcelona now enjoys a positionas a premiere tourist destination; aparadigmatic city chock full of thetype of possibilities that can beoffered by a people who have knownhow to blend a long and solidtraditional lifestyle with the dynamismand capacity for carrying out a seriesof extraordinary modernisationprojects. The city seized theopportunity of the 1992 OlympicGames to carry out widespread<renewal. Since then, Barcelona hascontinued to ascend and is on itsway to becoming the main logisticalcentre in southern Europe, and oneof the great cultural poles of theMediterranean.

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Palau Reial MajorCarrer de la PietatCasa de la CiutatPalau de la Generalitat

The old city

Barcelona was founded by theRomans who, during the reign ofEmperor Augustus (27 BC - 14 AD),established a new colony, Barcino,on the coastal plain between theLlobregat and Besòs rivers, at themeeting point of the country’s majorthoroughfares. The original walledcity, on a small hill called MonsTaber, had the usual rectangularlayout of the period. The two mainstreets (decumanus and cardomaximus) met at the forum, now thePlaça de Sant Jaume, which eventoday is the political hub of the city.On the top of the hill stood thetemple to Augustus, of which fourimpressive columns still stand insidethe headquarters of the CentreExcursionista de Catalunya.

Parts of the Roman walls can stillbe admired. They come from thefortifications built in the late 3rd andearly 4th centuries, after the firstinvasion by Franks and Alemani,when Barcelona had in effectreplaced Tarraco as the capital ofHispania Citerior. Its importancedeclined in the Visigothic period,despite a brief period as capitalunder Ataülf (415). Captured by theMoslems in the 8th C., it wasconquered by the Franks in 801, thusbecoming an outpost ofCharlemagne’s empire south of thePyrenees and the capital of theearldom of Barcelona, which becamehereditary in the times of Guifré elPilós and independent of theCarolingian kings from 988 underBorrell ll. Barcelona became themost powerful of the Catalanearldoms and the dominant partnerin the confederation of Catalonia-Aragon until the end of the 15th C.The growth of maritime trade alsoturned it into a leadingMediterranean sea power.

The whole medieval city was thescene of this age of splendour. Untilthe mid-19th C. it was surrounded bywalls. The central part, knownnowadays as the Barri Gòtic (GothicQuarter), though in fact Gothicarchitecture is also to be foundelsewhere, contains most of the

3Santa Maria del Mar

buildings where, today as in bygoneages, the major events of the city’spolitical life take place.

Two sides of the Plaça del Reiare occupied by the Palau ReialMajor, the former residence of theCatalan royal family, which mostlydates back to the 14th C. The façadeis flanked by a great 16th C. towerknown as the Mirador del Rei Martí.At the top of the flight of circularsteps is a doorway with voussoirsleading into the austerely beautifulSaló de Tinell, which has great stonearches supporting the roof, and intothe small chapel of Santa Àgata,also in Gothic style, which contains amagnificent altarpiece by JaumeHuguet entitled El Conestable. Onthe other side of the courtyard is agreat Renaissance mansion, thePalau del Lloctinent, the formerseat of the important Archives of theCrown of Aragon, and the CasaClariana Padellàs, which houses theMuseu d’Història de la Ciutat.

The Cathedral comprisesseveral highly interestingconstructions from different periods.The spacious church has slenderGothic lines and three aisles andwas built in the 13-15th C. (except forthe lantern and façade which areneo-Gothic). Inside are numerousfeatures of artistic value: the crypt ofSanta Eulàlia, choir stalls, paintings,sculptures, and gold and silver ware.The small Romanesque chapel ofSanta Llúcia opens off the cloister.Nearby are the Museu Marès, andthe Gothic Cases dels Canonges,now the residence of the Presidentof the Generalitat (Catalanautonomous government), and theCasa de l’Ardiaca, which was builtinto the Roman walls and nowhouses the Arxiu Històric de laCiutat. A sharp contrast is providedby the modern Col·legid’Arquitectes, on the Avinguda dela Catedral, with interesting sgraffitiby Picasso.

Facing each other across thePlaça de Sant Jaume, the scene ofall the great events of city life, arethe homes of the Catalangovernment –the Generalitat– and ofthe City CounciI. The Generalitat,which was re-established in the20th C., evolved from the permanent

4Cathedral

delegation of members of theCatalan parliament, or CortsCatalanes, founded in the 13th C.The Palau de la Generalitat hasseveral handsome Gothic features,mostly from the 15th Century: theentrance and courtyard, the chapelof Sant Jordi (the finest example ofCatalan flamboyant Gothic) and thePati dels Tarongers. The well-balanced façade is 16th C.Renaissance. The Casa de la Ciutator Ajuntament is the headquarters ofthe present City Council, thesuccessor of one of the most ancientinstitutions to represent the power ofthe citizens, the Consell de Cent(Council of one hundred), which ranthe city till the 18th C. The lateralfaçade and the famous Saló de Centon the main floor are 15th C. Gothicwhile the main facade is neoclassical(19th C.).

During the Middle Ages, whenMediterranean trade was at itsheight, merchants and nobles livedside by side with sailors in the olddistrict of La Ribera where the14th C. church of Santa Maria delMar, considered the foremostachievement of Catalan Gothicarchitecture on account of the purityof its lines and the harmony of itsproportions, can still be admired.Nearby, on the Carrer de Montcada,once the home of powerful Catalannoble families, various characteristicGothic and Renaissance mansionsstill stand, with their entrancecourtyards and stairways going up tothe main porticoed first floor. Themansions that attract most visitorsare those which house the MuseuPicasso (the city’s most popularmuseum), the Palau dels Marquesosde Lió (the Museu Tèxtil i de laIndumentària), the Palau delsCervelló (Galeria Maeght) and thePalau Dalmases.

Another group of buildings in theold district of El Raval, to the right ofthe Rambla, recall this age ofprosperity: the former Hospital de laSanta Creu, set up in 1410 to bringtogether the services of various olderhospitals. In addition to the greatGothic halls, now occupied by theBiblioteca de Catalunya (nationallibrary), one can admire the BaroqueCasa de Convalescència, which has

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Museu Picasso

Palau de la Música Catalana

a courtyard decorated with fineceramics, and the neoclassicalCol·legi de Cirurgia, now theAcadèmia de Medicina. The fair ofSant Ponç, which is still held in theneighbouring streets, is a relic of theage-old sale of medicinal herbs. Theformer Casa de Caritat (hospice),located in the same area, has beenremodelled to house the Centre deCultura Contemporània deBarcelona (CCCB) and Centre deRecursos Culturals. The nearby lateGothic Church of Els Àngels hasbeen restored, and beside it, theMuseu d’Art Contemporani deBarcelona (MACBA) has been built.The magnificent church and cloisterof Sant Pau del Camp, anoutstanding example of CatalanRomanesque architecture (11-13th C.)was a Benedictine abbey from the10th C.

The Gothic church of SantaMaria del Pi, with its characteristicrose window and bell tower, can befound in another small butfascinating area of Old Barcelona.Close by, on the quaint Carrer dePetritxol, is one of the city’s oldestart galleries, the Sala Parés, whichhas been renovated, while the Carrerde la Palla, lined with intriguingantique and old book shops, leads tothe Cathedral. The Sant Pere districtclusters around the church of aformer monastery of Benedictinenuns, Sant Pere de les Puelles.Here we can admire the Palau de laMúsica Catalana (1908), one ofBarcelona’s most deservedly famousModernist buildings. Thisarchitectural masterpiece byDomènech i Montaner is lavishlyadorned with sculptures andceramics and has been declared a“World Heritage” site by Unesco.

7La Rambla

The Rambla

The unique and colourful Rambla,popularly called “Les Rambles”, isundoubtedly the most lively part ofBarcelona, a good place to get toknow the city at close quarters. Thisvaried and spectacular promenade,stretching from Plaça de Catalunyato the harbour, was originally astream running along the westernside of the 13th C. walls. Populationgrowth caused the walls to becometoo confining, and so they wererebuilt along the present innerRondes, leaving the Rambla insidethe city limits. Between the 15thand 17th C., several monastic andacademic buildings were built alongit and it began to look like apromenade, a vocation that wasconfirmed in the 18th C. when therows of trees were planted.

The part closest to Plaça deCatalunya is called Rambla deCanaletes, after the still popularfountain of the same name whichhas stood there from ancient times.Football supporters hold livelydiscussions around it and traditionhas it that any visitor who drinks thewaters will one day come back toBarcelona. Another characteristicfeature are the stalls full of booksand periodicals on either side of thecentral walkway which alwaysattract crowds.

The next part is the Rambladels Estudis. It was here that theEstudi General, Barcelona’s firstuniversity, stood until 1714. Oneither side of the avenue are the 17-18th C. Baroque Betlemchurch, which was part of a Jesuitconvent, and Palau Moja, animportant 18th C. building. Inside,there is a large reception roomcontaining fine mural paintings byFrancesc Pla, “El Vigatà”. JacintVerdaguer, the foremost poet of the19th C. Catalan Renaixença, livedhere when he served as chaplain tothe Marquises of Comillas.

Both the people strolling alongthe boulevard and the surroundingslend colour to the Rambla. Onreaching Rambla de les Flors,however, we are met by the evenmore brilliant but ever changing huesof the flower stalls, a scene that will

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Palau Güell

vividly live on in the memory of allthose who have visited the Rambla.Along the Carrer de la Portaferrissa,to the left, is a wide range offashionable clothing shops while onthe right hand side of the Ramblastands the imposing Palau de laVirreina, an 18th C. Rococo building,which houses the Cultural Servicesof the City Council. Importantexhibitions are also held therethroughout the year. A little furtherdown is Barcelona’s mostpicturesque market, which offers awide selection of products: thepopular Mercat de Sant Josep(or La Boqueria).

The pavement at the Pla de laBoqueria, at the beginning of theRambla del Centre (or delsCaputxins), is decorated with adesign by Joan Miró. Rows ofterraces belonging to bars, hotelsand restaurants stand along thispart of the Rambla, which isoverlooked by the façade ofBarcelona’s opera house, the GranTeatre del Liceu. For a century anda half, since its inauguration in1847, the Liceu has been the prideof the citizens of Barcelona, andlegendary figures of Italian andWagnerian opera have sung there.In 1994 a devastating fire destroyedthe sumptuous auditorium and thestage. Work was immediatelyunderway to rebuild the Liceu, aprocess in which great care hasbeen given to the restoration of theopera’s original details, whilenotably improving the infrastructure.The sidestreets off this part of theRambla lead to the “Barri Xino”(Raval), the setting for variousEuropean novels, where Bohemianlife-styles have been overtaken by amore sinister way of life. In CarrerNou de la Rambla, to the right, is the Palau Güell (1888), aremarkable mansion designed by Gaudí.

The Plaça Reial, off the otherside of the Rambla, was built in themiddle of the 19th C. on terrainbelonging to a Capuchin convent. Itconsists of a series of identicalbuildings with porticoes and motifsdepicting sailors and explorers of theNew World. The atmosphere isalways lively. Popular bars are

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Rambla de MarMercat de la Boqueria

located under the archways and onSundays there is a market at whichstamps and coins are exchanged.From one side one can reach theCarrer de Ferran which leads to thePlaça de Sant Jaume, while theother opens onto the Carrerd’Escudellers where the atmosphereis that of the “Xino” district.Between these two streets runs theCarrer d’Avinyó, site of the brothelthat was said to have inspiredPicasso’s famous Les Demoisellesd’Avignon (1907), painted at thebeginning of his Cubist period.

The first mills producing printedcotton (indianes) fabrics were setup in the 18th century on the right-hand side of the Rambla, in theRaval district. They signalled thebirth of Catalonia’s textile industry.Factories and workers’ housingoccupied the remaining free spacesinside the city walls, where marketgardens, convents and monasterieshad once stood. In the 19th centurythe area became a major industrialsuburb. Along the lower part of theRambla, the proximity of the portled to the opening of shady dancehalls and cabarets. This area of theRaval was nicknamed the BarriXino (Chinese Quarter).

The last stretch of the Ramblabefore the port is the Rambla deSanta Mònica. It begins at the Pladel Teatre, where the old TeatrePrincipal and the monument (1907)to the playwright Frederic Soler,“Pitarra”, stand. The old convent ofSanta Mònica is an art centre inwhich visiting and seasonalexhibitions are held. Opposite is thePalau Marc, a handsome late 18thC. neoclassical building which hasalso been renovated to house theDepartament de Cultura de laGeneralitat. Nearby is the popularMuseu de Cera, full of eerie waxfigures, and the old 17th C. Foneriade Canons (canon foundry), whichwas altered in the 19th C. Themonument to ChristopherColumbus marks the end of thepromenade.

10Drassanes

The seafront

The seafront, which stretches fromthe foot of Montjuïc to the district ofLa Barceloneta, is followed by thestretches of beaches running from ElPoblenou to the mouth of the Besòsriver. This stretch is one of thereasons for Barcelona’s existence,the mark of its status as a maritimecapital, and proof of its undeniablyMediterranean personality.

The former shipyards orDrassanes, which bear witness tothe might of the Catalan navy andmerchant fleet in the Middle Ages,are the most noteworthy monumentin the harbour area. Built in the 14th C.,they are the largest and bestpreserved buildings of their kind inthe world. The vast Gothic halls nowhouse the important Museu Marítim,next to which are a stretch of walland a gateway which are all thatremains of the medievalfortifications. Opposite is themonument to Columbus who wasreceived by the Catholic Kings inBarcelona in 1493 on his return fromhis first voyage to the New World.The figure of the admiral stands onan iron column 50 m high; themonument was designed by GaietàBuïgas (1886) and has become oneof the city’s best known sights. Belowit, the popular golondrinas ferrycarries sightseers to and fro acrossthe waters of the harbour to the jetty.

The whole port area hasundergone extensive renovationsince the redevelopment of the Mollde la Fusta, the seafront promenadeadorned at the western end by twosculptures by the architect RobertKrier dedicated to the poet JoanSalvat-Papasseit and to RòmulBosch i Alsina, and at the easternend by Roy Lichtenstein’s monumentBarcelona Head. Right alongside thegolondrinas is the entrance to theRambla de Mar, a mobile woodenfootbridge across the water to theMoll d’Espanya where a newAquarium and a shopping centrehave been built, offering numerousleisure facilities such as restaurants,cinemas and boutiques.

Above the Passeig de Colom,beyond the beautiful and secludedPlaça del Duc de Medinaceli, we

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AquariumPalau de Mar and Port Vell

reach a recently enlarged squarefacing an 18th C. Baroque churchwith a curved façade, the basilica ofLa Mercè, dedicated to Our Ladyof Mercy, the patroness of the city.

On the other side of ViaLaietana, the busy street which cutsthrough the Old City to the port, isthe Plaça d’Antoni López where theLlotja is located. Once the tradeexchange of the city’s merchants, itlater fulfilled a similar function as thehome of Barcelona’s stock exchange.Inside are the wide arches typical ofCatalan Gothic architecture (14th C.),a reminder of the golden age ofMediterranean trade. The façade andadjoining buildings, however, wererebuilt in neoclassical style at theend of the 18th C. Facing it are the Porxos d’en Xifré, a group ofneoclassical porticoed buildings withmedallions and trophies referring tothe sea, built in 1836 by Josep Xifré,an indiano (a term used to describeresidents in Spain’s colonies inAmerica who returned to thehomeland). Next we come to the Plaça (or Pla) del Palau which inthe 17-19th C. was the political hubof the city. The Palau Reial has nowdisappeared and the only survivingbuilding from the period is the fineold Rococo customs house, theDuana Nova (1792), which since1902 has been the seat of theGovern Civil. Further along is thelarge Estació de França built in1929 on the site of the originalBarcelona to Mataró railway station (1848).

La Barceloneta is an unusualseafaring district located atop atriangular tongue of land formed bysand which accumulated on theeastern side when the port ofBarcelona was built in the 17th C.For this reason it has been said thatLa Barceloneta, like Venus, rosefrom the waters. It is an interestingspecimen of Baroque city planning,designed by the military engineerJuan Martin Cermeño in the mid18th C., with uniform, regularlyshaped, elongated blocks, andcontains a few noteworthyexamples of architecture from thesame period, such as the beautifulchurch of Sant Miquel del Port

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Parc de la CiutadellaMuseu d’Història de Catalunya

with its Italian-style Baroquefaçade. The home over the years offishermen and sailors, LaBarceloneta was the city’s onlyoutlet to the sea until the recentredevelopment of the entire seafront.The former Magatzem General delPort (port warehouse), renamedPalau del Mar, houses a brand newtheme museum, the Museud’Història de Catalunya, whichillustrates the history of Cataloniafrom prehistoric times to thepresent day. Several restaurantsspecialising in seafood can befound in the building’s surroundingarea, which are traditional as well asin other districts.

Barcelona is one of the mostimportant and busiest ports on theMediterranean and wharfs andshipyards occupy much of theseafront. There is a fishing port,complete with a small fleet and awholesale fish market, locatedalongside the Marina on the Molldel Rellotge, in the vicinity of LaBarceloneta. And here too is themarina known as the Port Vell, oneof the city’s two marinas, the otherbeing the Port Olímpic. Cable carsaffording a view over the entire portdepart from the nearby metal towerof Sant Sebastià and carrypassengers, via the twin tower ofSant Jaume, up to Miramar, on theslopes of Montjuïc, 80 m above sealevel.

Parc de la Ciutadella, situatedbetween the districts of La Riberaand La Barceloneta, takes its namefrom the fortified citadel built byPhilip V to subjugate the city whichhad been hostile to his cause in theWar of Succession (1714). Most ofthe buildings were demolished in1869 and only the governor’s palace,the chapel and the arsenal remain.The last, a fine Baroque building, isnow the home of the Parlament deCatalunya. In the park, designed byJosep Fontserè, are variousbuildings erected for the UniversalExhibition of 1888, an event of greatsignificance for the city, andmotivated new constructions, suchas the Arc de Triomf, which islocated just above the park. Amidthe large flowerbeds and tree-lined

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Castell dels Tres DragonsArc de TriomfHivernacle

paths, the monumental waterfallwith sculptures by Nobas andVallmitjana, and the lake, reigns apleasant atmosphere of peace andseclusion. Some of the architecture,aside from its intrinsic interest,foreshadows the advent ofModernism: the Castell dels TresDragons, by Domènech i Montaner(1888), a brick building which todayhouses on of the sections of theNatural Science Museum; the ironand glass greenhouse orHivernacle, by Josep Amargós,which has been restored andconverted into a cultural centre andthe brick and wood Umbracle, byFontserè. Barcelona’s largelandscaped Zoo is also located atLa Ciutadella. Foremost among thepark’s sculptures are theenchanting Dama del Paraigua (ladywith umbrella) by Roig Solé, one ofthe city’s best known sights, andthe magnificent Desconsol byLlimona.

Other points of interest in thesurrounding area, also urbanised byFontserè, include the Edifici orDipòsit de les Aigües (WaterTower), which houses the PompeuFabra University library. Interestingarchaeological remains from themedieval and modern city,demolished at the end of theSpanish War of Succession (1714) tomake way for the military citadel,were discovered in 2002 in the Bornmarket building, which boasts a finemetal structure. The building will inthe future house a cultural centre.

14The Eixample

The Eixample

During the 19th C., Barcelonaunderwent a period of economic anddemographic growth and the oldmedieval walls which prevented theexpansion of the city had to bedemolished (1854). A large areaclose to the walls, where buildinghad hitherto been prohibited, thusbecame available for development.From 1860 onwards the plan drawnup by the engineer Ildefons Cerdà–Pla de Reforma i Eixample (plan forrenovation and enlargement)– wasimplemented. It was a highlyadvanced and rational grid designconsisting of streets parallel to theseafront and others perpendicular toit, with the corners of the blocks cutoff. Cerdà’s specifications for greenspaces were however not respected.

The Eixample (meaningenlargement), especially the centralpart, was built at a time whenBarcelona society was flourishing.Economic and industrial growth hadgiven rise to an establishedbourgeoisie with a desire to build agreat city. This same bourgeoisiealso supported the goals of thepolitical and cultural movementknown as the Renaixença which, inthe field of art, was to lead at theend of the century to Modernism.Together the buildings of theEixample district, which are presentlybeing renovated, constitute one ofthe most interesting examples inEurope of the architecture of thisperiod. By strolling through thestreets of the Eixample one candiscover, not only on the façades ofthe impressive larger buildings, but inthe doorways and entrance halls ofapartment blocks, grocers’ shops,bakeries, and pharmacies, countlessexamples of lavish Modernistornamentation using newlyintroduced and finely workedmaterials such as glass, wood,wrought iron and ceramics.

Plaça de Catalunya, the linkbetween Old Barcelona and theEixample, was developed in 1927 byF. de P. Nebot with interestingsculptures by Josep Llimona, EusebiArnau, Pau Gargallo and JosepClarà a copy of whose La Deessastands in the square. There is also a

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“La Pedrera”

Casa Batlló

monument to President Macià, thefirst President of the RepublicanGeneralitat by Josep M. Subirachs.The main street of the Eixample, thePasseig de Gràcia, leads off thePlaça de Catalunya. Its widepavements are lined with large, well-established shops. The street lampsby Pere Falqués are anothercharacteristic feature. Numerousbuildings of eclectic, medievalist orfully Modernist design are located onPasseig de Gràcia. The mostimportant is Casa Milà, known as“La Pedrera” (the quarry), one ofGaudí’s –and Barcelona’s– bestknown works, which stands at thecorner of Carrer Provença. It hasbeen restored and fit as an artisticspace. On the famous “Mançana dela Discòrdia” between Carrer d’Aragóand Consell de Cent we find CasaBatlló, by Gaudí, Casa Amatller, byPuig i Cadafalch, and Casa LleóMorera, by Domènech i Montaner.Around the intersection with CarrerCasp there are the neo-Gothicbuildings by Eric Sagnier thatpresently house “La Caixa” deBarcelona, and the CasesRocamora by the BassegodaBrothers.

Another popular street of theEixample is Rambla de Catalunya.One can have a drink in the shadeof the lime trees on the terracesalong the pleasant promenade. Oneither side are fine shops, shoppingcentres, art galleries (especially inthe vicinity of Carrer del Consell deCent), as well as bookshops andcinemas. There are variousModernist buildings, notably CasaSerra, by Puig i Cadafalch, which isnow the Diputació de Barcelona. Notfar off, on Carrer d’Aragó, is a finebuilding by Domènech i Montaner(1880), formerly the offices of thepublishers Montaner y Simón, andnow the home of the FundacióTàpies which is devoted tocontemporary art. Beyond it standsthe neomedieval building by EliesRogent belonging to the Universityof Barcelona.

The long, wide AvingudaDiagonal cuts obliquely across thecity from Pedralbes to the sea. At the

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17Sagrada Família

western, basically residential end arethe modern University campus andthe Palau de Pedralbes. Numerousbusiness and commercialestablishments are located along thecentral portion, where there are alsoimportant Modernist buildings,notably the famous Casa de lesPunxes and Casa Quadras, nowthe Casa d’Àsia, both by Puig iCadafalch, as well as quality worksof later architecture such as theRationalist house by Ricardo deChurruca (1937) at the intersectionwith Carrer d’Enric Granados or theTorres Trade by Josep A. Coderch(1968) at Gran Via de Carles lllwhich are symbols of Barcelona’sarchitectural renewal.

This short summary would notbe complete without references totwo singular Modernist buildingssituated near the northernmoststretch of Diagonal at either end ofAvinguda de Gaudí. The first is thebest known of Gaudí’s creationsthroughout the world, the expiatorychurch of Sagrada Família,conceived as a “cathedral of thetwentieth century”, in which hisgenius takes on a complex religioussymbology. From 1883 until his deathin 1926, Gaudí worked exclusively onthe Sagrada Família. It was leftunfinished but work has continued tothe present day in the midst of fiercecontroversy. The second of thesebuildings is the Hospital de SantPau (1902-12) by Domènech iMontaner, which consists of severalbrick pavilions, decorated withpolychrome ceramics, standing amidspacious gardens. Both buildingshave been declared a “WorldHeritage” site by Unesco.

18Monastery of Pedralbes

The surrounding districts

The personality of present-dayBarcelona would be incompletewithout the surrounding districts towhich it owes its ever-changingappearance. The former towns of theBarcelona plain have been the mostsuccessful in maintaining their ownparticular flavour. They retained theirindependence for centuries untilthe growth of Barcelona led to theadoption of the Cerdà plan forthe development of the interveningland, and the capital spilled over ontotheir territory.

Sarrià lies at the foot of theCollserola hills at the north end ofthe plain. Its old quarters, which havepreserved their traditional personality,cluster around the church of SantVicenç, near the former home of thegreat poet J. V. Foix. A spaciousresidential zone surrounds the area,where rambling old houses, somefine examples of Modernism, andlarge convents and religious schoolsstand side by side with modernapartment blocks. The Monastery ofPedralbes, founded by QueenElisenda de Montcada, the last wifeof James ll, is one of the bestexamples of Catalan Gothicarchitecture. Within its walls the nunsof the order of Saint Clare havemaintained religious life since the14th C. The chapel of Sant Miquel,decorated by Ferrer Bassa, opensonto the cloister. On the Avinguda dePedralbes stand the PavellonsGüell, former stables designed byGaudí with an extraordinary wroughtiron dragon at the gate. To the south,in the once independent borough ofLes Corts de Sarrià which was splitinto two parts when Diagonal wasbuilt, are the Palau de Pedralbes,the Unlversity campus and themagnificent Camp Nou stadium withroom for 98,000 spectators whichbelongs to Football Club Barcelona,Catalonia’s best loved team.

Sant Gervasi de Cassoles, atthe foot of Tibidabo, is anotherresidential district. It has adistinguished history, being the siteof the villa Bellesguard, built by KingMartin I the Humane at thebeginning of the 15th C. andcompletely converted in modern

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Parc del Laberint d’Horta“Mistos”, sculpture by Claes Oldenburg andCoosje van BruggenSculpture-poem by Joan Brossa

times by Gaudí. Spacious secondhomes and Modernist-style housesremain, as well as many conventsand religious schools. The Conventof Les Teresianes, by Gaudí, isparticularly remarkable for itsarchitecture. The area includesvarious interesting green spaces,especially the hilltop parks ofMonterols and El Putxet whichcommand good views overBarcelona.

Horta also lies at the foot of theCollserola hills, in a valley wheremany springs rise and where animportant Hieronymite monastery,known as the Vall d’Hebron, wasfounded at the end of the 14th C.The monastery has disappeared butnot so the mansion built in 1799 bythe Marquises of Alfarràs. Thisbeautiful neoclassical building, withgardens containing statues ofmythological figures, a pavilion, apond and a maze of cypress hedges,is now a municipal park, the Laberintd’Horta. Close by is the Velodromeand many hospitals and other healthcare establishments are alsolocated in the area.

Lying below Horta, mostly on theBarcelona plain, is Gràcia, possiblythe former town which has bestsucceeded in maintaining its originalpersonality. Throughout the 19th C. itwas famous for its republican, liberalideas and for its role in the workingclass movement. The famous“Campana de Gràcia” (Gràcia bell)which, during a revolt against trooplevies in 1870, tolled unceasinglyfrom the tower in Plaça de Rius iTaulet, has become a legend. Gràciahas a multiplicity of associations andnumerous festivals and customs, likethe festival of Sant Medir, whichincludes a horseback procession toSant Cugat del Vallès, or the livelycelebrations that mark theAssumption (Aug. 15th), whenthe streets are decked with garlandsand there is dancing undermarquees. Noteworthy buildingsinclude the 17th C. church of SantJosep, which once belonged to aCarmelite convent, the iron structureof La Llibertat market and several

20Güell Park

Modernist houses, including CasaVicens, one of Gaudí’s first works(1889), and others overlooking thebustling main street, Carrer Gran deGràcia. In Gràcia we can also admireone of Gaudí’s best known works,Güell Park, included by Unesco as a“World Heritage” site. Originallyplanned as a garden city, it wasnever completed. However, thebuildings by the entrance still stand,together with a staircase, guarded bya dragon, which leads up to a greathall (intended as a market) with86 Doric columns supporting amosaic ceiling. Above it is a greatround esplanade offering amagnificent panorama over the cityand edged by the famous undulatingmosaic bench. Also of interest arethe curious appearance of the paths,resting on strong retaining walls andstout arcades, and the Casa MuseuGaudí.

Sants, to the west of the city andof Montjuïc, remains today what itwas in the past –an industrial areawith venerable old factories likeL’Espanya Industrial or El VaporVell. The recently developed arearound the large new Sants centralrailway station includes twointeresting examples of new trends inurban architecture: Plaça dels PaïsosCatalans and Parc de l’EspanyaIndustrial, which are described below.

To the east of Barcelona, beforereaching the Besòs river, are the twoformer independent boroughs ofSant Andreu de Palomar and SantMartí de Provençals, the latter witha long seafront. In the course of the19th C., both were industrialised andthey became, especially in the 20th C.,the home of large numbers ofworkers from other parts of Spain.The latter district has been mostwidely influenced by the Games of1992, and the Olympic Village wasbuilt in the El Poblenou district.

21Torre de Collserola

From the hills

A view of Barcelona from the seareveals a natural wall of tree-cladhills which surrounds and protectsthe city, as well as providingincomparable panoramas. These arethe Collserola hills, the veritable“lungs” of the city, now beingconverted into a large park. Theheadland of Montjuïc, which risesabove the sea to the west of OldBarcelona, is another importantgreen space and leisure area.

The highest point in theCollserola hills, which separateBarcelona from the Vallès region, isthe Tibidabo area, which was builtup at the turn of the century as aresult of private and municipalinitiative. The Tramvia Blau (bluetram), one of Barcelona’s mostpopular and distinctive features, linksup with the funicular railway whichclimbs up the hillside. On top standsthe great expiatory church, theSagrat Cor, a neo-Gothic work byEnric Sagnier, whose unmistakablesilhouette is an integral part of thecity’s profile. In front, on the greatesplanade, is an amusement parkfeaturing a 50 m. high watchtower, apopular aeroplane and a Museum ofAutomatons, as well as restaurantsand bars and splendid views over thecity, all of which have made Tibidaboa favourite spot for the citizens ofBarcelona.

Further west along the Collserolarange, the residential district ofVallvidrera stands amid pine woods.Formerly part of Sarrià, Vallvidreracan also be reached by a funicularrailway and boasts several fineModernist residences and VilaJoana, which today houses theMuseo Jacint Verdaguer. Very closeto the Tibidabo, perched on thehillside, is the prestigiousObservatori Fabra (1907) wheremeteorological, seismic andastronomical research is carried out.The great 260 m. high Torre deCollserola (telecommunicationstower) stands on the crest of thehills. The design, by the Britisharchitect Norman Foster, is ultramodern and the technical facilitiesare located underground. TheCarretera de Les Aigües, located

22Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC)

half-way up the hillside, winds fromone edge of the range to the other.

Montjuïc is a rocky headlandrising between sandy areas at themouths of the Llobregat and Besòsrivers. Owing to its strategic positionoverlooking the city, it fulfilled amilitary function from the high MiddleAges onwards. The original Castelldel Port was replaced in the mid-18th C.by the great hulk of the Castell deMontjuïc, built after the style ofVauban in the shape of a star withwide moats, bulwarks and pillboxes.For many years it served as amilitary prison, becoming a symbolof political repression until donated tothe city in 1960. It now houses theMuseu Militar.

Large-scale development tookplace on Montjuïc on the occasion ofthe 1929 International Exhibition. Theslopes were landscaped according toa project by Forestier and Rubió iTudurí. Approaching Montjuïc fromPlaça d’Espanya, where the greatmonumental fountain stands that wasdesigned by Jujol as well assculptures by Blay, we pass betweentwo large towers inspired by theCampanile in Venice and asemicircle of columns into theexhibition hall enclosure. At the farend stand the giant luminousfountains designed by GaietàBuïgas. Behind these are the stairsthat lead up to the Palau Nacional,a neoclassical building of giantproportions with a central dome. ThePalau Nacional is the home of themagnificent collections of the MuseuNacional d’Art de Catalunyacomprising Romanesque art as wellGothic works that are singular in theworld.

Nearby, the old Casaramonatextile factory, a Modernist buildingby Puig i Cadafalch, is now animportant cultural centre,CaixaForum, housing a magnificentcollection of contemporary art.

Parc de Montjuïc offers a varietyof other attractions. The PobleEspanyol consists of a largecollection of reproductions of populararchitecture from throughout Spain.Concerts and festivals are held thereand there are many interesting craftworkshops including the use ofwood, engravings, glass and

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Fundació Miró

Correfoc

foundry work. Nearby, on a vantagepoint overlooking the city, stands anequestrian statue of Saint George byJosep Llimona which is a veritablemasterpiece. The area of Montjuïcsituated around the OlympicStadium and Palau Sant Jordi isknown as the Olympic Ring.Barcelona’s most illustrious guestsstay at the Palau Albèniz. Theformer Mercat de les Flors (flowermarket), the adjoining buildings andthe Palau de l’Agricultura will formthe site of the new Ciutat del Teatrecomprising several theatres, thepremises of the Institut del Teatre and the new home of the Teatre Lliure. Also on Montjuïcis, the Museu d’Arqueologia andthe Museu Etnològic. The TeatreGrec is a beautiful open-air theatre,surrounded by gardens, which wasbuilt into an old stone quarry. Insummer it is the main site ofBarcelona’s foremost arts festival.The Palau Municipal d’Esports is awork of modern architecture, as isthe Fundació Joan Miró, an activecentre for the study ofcontemporary art with richcollections donated by the painterhimself. The luminous and beautifulbuilding by J.L. Sert (1974) wasenlarged in 1988. From theAvinguda Paral·lel one can take afunicular up to the cable cars whichcarry visitors to the castle and thepark that is dedicated to collectionsof native Mediterranean flora.

The former industrial district ofEl Poble Sec lies at the foot ofMontjuïc, between Plaça d’Espanyaand the sea. The familiar silhouetteof an antique power stationchimneys are found here, whilealong the edge runs the broadAvinguda del Paral·lel. At the turnof the last century numerous theatresand cabarets offering lightentertainment opened here, earningthe district the nickname of theMontmartre of Barcelona. Sometheatres specialising in reviews andmusicals still survive.

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25

Parc de l’Espanya IndustrialParc de la Creueta del CollVia JúliaParc de Joan Miró

The new Barcelona

Various factors account for presentday Barcelona’s modern image andfor the extensive remodelling thathas taken place. One was the 1992Olympic Games, which gave rise tonew spaces and constructions, andanother the desire to renovate theold city centre and redesign theoutlying areas and provide them withnew monuments. The following is abrief summary of achievements inthe field of city planning.

Parc de l’Espanya Industrialin the Sants district was designed bythe Basque architect Luis PeñaGanchegui, who conceived it as amodern version of Roman baths witha boating lake in the centresurrounded by tiers of steps andoverlooked by ten towers whichserve both as vantage points andoverhead lights. It is decorated bysculptures in different styles, such asthe great dragon by Andrés Nagel,which has children’s slides inside, orthe works by Anthony Caro, PabloPalazuelo and others. The daringand controversial design of Plaçadels Països Catalans, opposite theBarcelona Central-Sants railwaystation, by Helio Piñón and AlbertViaplana, is ultra modern. In theimmediate vicinity, towards Plaçad’Espanya, is the spacious Parc deJoan Miró which occupies an areaequal to four blocks in the Eixampledistrict. Popularly known as Parc del’Escorxador (the municipalslaughterhouse, or escorxador, formerlystood here), its main features are anesplanade and pond from which aspectacular sculpture by Miró, Donai ocell (woman and bird), stands tall.A large grove of palm trees, playgrounds, pergolas, pines andeucalyptus trees complete the picture.

On one of the hills in thenorthern part of Horta is Parc de laCreueta del Coll, designed by thearchitects Martorell and Mackay. Itcontains a lake and a hangingsculpture by Chillida entitled Elogi del’Aigua which is reflected in thewaters, and others by Kelly andLichtenstein. Parc del Clot, byDaniel Freixes and Vicente Miranda,

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Plaça dels Països CatalansSculpture-bridge by Santiago Calatrava

in the densely populated district ofthe same name, is a prodigy ofdesign which takes advantage of adisused railway and an old chimney,and is decorated with a fine piece bythe American sculptor, Bryan Hunt,Rites of Spring. In the nearby districtof La Sagrera, Parc de la Pegasostands on the former site of thePegaso factory. The plans by JoanRoig and Enric Batlle provide for apaved square with a sculpture byEllsworth Kelly, groves of trees and asmall lake.

In the midst of Plaça de laPalmera, in La Verneda district ofSant Martí de Provençals, stands alarge conceptualist wall sculpture byRichard Serra consisting of twoconcentric concrete blocks. Plaçade Sóller, in the Porta district, isadorned with a pond and a sculptureby Xavier Corberó.

In the district of Verdum, aRambla-type promenade known asVia Júlia has been built from PlaçaLlucmajor to Via Favència. On itstand two sculptures, one by SergiAguilar (a slender iron structure) andthe other by Antoni Rosselló, agreat lighthouse-column. Moresculptures have been placed onPlaça de Llucmajor: a monument toFrancesc Pi i Margall by JosepViladomat, on a pedestal by Piñónand Viaplana, and another work bySusana Solano.

An outstanding feature of thetransportation network is the greatsculpture-bridge by the architectand engineer Santiago Calatravawhich joins the districts of SantAndreu and El Poblenou betweenCarrer Bac de Roda and CarrerFelip II, providing access in a north-south direction to the east end of thecity. Barcelona Airport, at El Prat deLlobregat, has been remodelledaccording to plans by Ricard Bofill.

One of the most ambitiousprojects for the restoration ofbuildings of historical and artisticsignificance is in progress at thePalau Nacional de Montjuïc, thehome of the Museu Nacional d’Artde Catalunya. Directed by theItalian architect Gae Aulenti, it aimsat converting the building into oneof the largest museum complexes in

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Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona(MACBA)Auditori

Europe. The Pavelló Barcelona byMies van der Rohe, which housedthe German exhibit to the 1929International Exhibition, wasreconstructed in 1986 on the sameside of Montjuïc. Considered aparadigm of modern rationalistarchitecture, it contains theBarcelona Chair designed by thearchitect himself and a sculpture byGeorg Kolbe. The exhibition complexat Montjuïc, where the annual Fira deMostres (trade fair) and otherexhibitions are held, has also beenenlarged, while the Passeig deMaria Cristina, which runs fromPlaça d’Espanya to the PalauNacional, has been restored andembellished.

As part of the renovation of theEl Raval district, the Piñón-Viaplanateam of architects has remodelledthe former Casa de la Caritat whichhouses the Centre de CulturaContemporània de Barcelona andCentre de Recursos Culturals.Nearby stands the Museu d’ArtContemporani de Barcelona(MACBA), a remarkable building bythe American architect Richard Meier.The University of Barcelona's newFaculty of Geography and Historyand Philosophy Faculty are locatedin the same area.

In the vicinity of the Plaça de lesGlòries Catalanes, which accordingto the Cerdà plan was to have beenthe centre of Barcelona, importantcultural facilities have been built.The Teatre Nacional was designedby Ricard Bofill, comprising threetheatres in a building incorporatingcutting-edge technology and in theshape of a classical temple withmetal structures and large expansesof glass. L'Auditori was designedby Rafael Moneo, which consists ofthree concert halls in a buildingcombining new forms of architecturalexpression with classical strengthand sensitivity to the urbanenvironment. This building alsohouses the Escola Superior deMúsica and the new Museu de laMúsica, thereby completing thegreat cultural centre in the Plaça de les Arts. On the site of the nearbyformer Estació del Nord, a

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Centre de Cultura Contemporània deBarcelona (CCCB)Olympic Port

spacious park has been developedwith two large ceramic sculptures bythe American Beverly Pepper, Celcaigut and Espiral arbrada,dedicated to Gaudí and Miró.

A new sort of night life hasgrown up which has led to a vastamount of creative energy beingdevoted to the conception, designand construction of new places ofamusement. The interesting featureof such projects is that theyinvariably involve the interplay ofinterior, graphic and industrial design.

Some are former factories,garages, cooperatives, warehousesor shops, whereas others haveinvolved the renovation of big oldhouses or mansions with somearchitectural interest. They can beclassified in terms of their location,design and clientele. Somecorrespond to a marginal, oralternative aesthetic, while othersoffer a vague idea of ‘modernity’.

The venues for the variousOlympic events and the necessaryservices and infrastructures werebuilt in four areas equidistant fromone another (the four ‘cantons’ of thecity) and linked by the outer Rondes,a 40 km long beltway.

Some of these areas wereextensively remodelled. One was theseafront of El Poblenou district, eastof La Barceloneta, where theOlympic Village was built. Theredevelopment of this area, wasplanned by the architects Bohigas,Martorell, Mackay and Puigdomènech.The Marina is by the engineer J.R.de Clascà. The two spectacularhigh-rise blocks overlooking it, onehousing offices and the other a largehotel, have transformed the city’sseafront skyline. The port, with itsabundant supply of bars andseafood restaurants, has become afavourite leisure spot for the city’sinhabitants, and El Poblenou beacheshave also received a facelift.

Another area which benefitedfrom the Games was Montjuïc hill.The accesses were improved, a parkwith an area for concerts –Parc delMigdia– was created, and easieraccess was provided from theneighbouring El Poble Sec and Zona

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Palau Sant JordiOlympic Ring

Franca districts. But the mostoutstanding feature is undoubtedlythe Anella Olímpica (‘Olympic ring’).The Olympic Stadium retained itsoriginal 1929 façade but the interiorwas entirely remodelled by a teammade up of Gregotti, Correa, Milà,Margarit and Buixadé. The newOlympic and Sports Museum isinnovative and pioneering in that itoffers a global approach to sport ingeneral and Olympic sports inparticular, which is historic, recreational,ethical and educational. The metal-roofed Palau Sant Jordi sports arenais a beautiful construction by theJapanese architect Arata Isozaki. In frontlies a refined forest made of stoneand metal, the work of sculptor AikoMiyawaki. Other works of interest arethe INEFC pavilion, or Sports University,designed by the Ricard Bofill workshop,and the lofty telephone communicationstower by Santiago Calatrava.

Further sports facilities arelocated in the Vall d’Hebron area.One is the handsome Velodrome,designed by Esteve Bonell andFrancesc Rius, set in attractivegardens which contain an interestingsculpture-poem by the poet JoanBrossa and afford access to Parc delLaberint. The Pavilion of the SpanishRepublic, designed for the ParisInternational Exhibition of 1937, hasalso been rebuilt in the area. It is byJosep L. Sert and formerly housedPicasso’s Gernika, as well as worksby Miró, J. González, Calder, andothers. In front of it is the sculptureMistos by Claes Oldenburg andCoosje van Bruggen.

Diagonal-Pedralbes, is thefourth Olympic area. It is located ina zone which already possessedvarious sports facilities such as theBarcelona Football Club stadium,Camp Nou, and others belonging tothe University Campus. These werecompleted by new constructions.

The city has evolveddramatically in the past twenty yearsto become one of Europe’s top-ranking modern capitals. Thesweeping changes made for the1992 Olympics and the 2004Universal Forum of Cultures havebeen followed by new projects: thetransformation of part of the area of

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Poblenou into the 22@ technologydistrict, for instance, or theextension –already provided for inCerdà’s plan– of Avinguda Diagonalfrom Plaça de les Glòries Catalanesdown to the sea to create theDiagonal Mar complex. Severaldistinctive new constructions haveendowed this area with a brand newskyline, notably the Torre Agbar andCentral Poblenou Park, both by thearchitect Jean Nouvel, and theMuseum of Design.

© Generalitat de CatalunyaMinistry of Enterprise and LabourDirectorate General for Tourism

Text: Borja Calzado

Translated by: Jacqueline Hall

Designed by: Francesc Guitart

Cover photo: Park Güell. Oriol Alamany

Photographs: J. Pareto, T. Vidal, Puente,F. Gomà, Aquàrium, R. Manent, Museud’Història de Catalunya, Jordi Calverasand Joan Sacristà / MNAC ServeiFotogràfic, Imagen Más, Felipe J. Alcoceba, Espai d’Imatge / Turisme deBarcelona, F. Ontañon/ImpremtaMunicipal (Ajuntament de Barcelona)and J. Trullàs.

Printed by: Bigsa Industria GráficaD.L.B.: 24108-2011Printed in EU

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