 |
| Barcelona is Spain's most colorful and unique city |
Our final stop, Barcelona, is the capital of Catalonia and the country's second
largest city, with a metro population of 4.5 million people. It is the largest
city on the Mediterranean Sea, located on the coast between the mouths of
the rivers Llobregat and Besòs, and bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola
mountain range, the tallest peak of which is 1,680 ft. high.
 |
| Distant mountains |
Founded as a Roman
city, Barcelona has a rich cultural heritage and is a
major tourist destination. Particularly renowned are the architectural works of
Antoni Gaudí ...
 |
| Weird designs |
... and Lluís Domènech i Montaner, which have been designated UNESCO
World Heritage Sites ...
 |
| Hospital de Sant Pau by Luis Domènech i Montaner |
This blog will cover what we saw in Barcelona, except for the Sagrada Familia, Guell Pavillions, Parque Guell and Castell de Montjuïc, which I will cover in separate blogs.
 |
| Sagrada Familia |
As with most places we visited, we didn't have time to see everything.
The city's founding is attributed to the mythological Hercules or to
Carthaginian Hamilcar Barca, father of Hannibal, who named the city Barcino in the third century BC. In about 15 BC, the Romans redrew the
town as a military camp centered on a hill near the contemporary city hall.
 |
| Roman cemetery |
Some
remaining fragments of Roman walls have been incorporated into the Basilica La
Seu (Barcelona Cathedral), which is said to have been founded in 343.
 |
| Barcelona Cathedral |
The city was conquered by the
Visigoths in the early 5th century, becoming for a few years the capital of
Hispania. After being controlled by Muslims, it was conquered in 801 by
Charlemagne's son, Louis. In 985, the army of Almanzor sacked Barcelona,
killing or enslaving most of the population. In 1137, Aragon and Barcelona were
merged, forming the Crown of Aragon,
which conquered many overseas possessions and ruled the western Mediterranean
with territories in Naples, Sicily and Athens in the 13th century. After the marriage of Ferdinand II of Aragon and
Isabella I of Castile in 1469 united the two royal lines, Madrid became the center of
political power and Barcelona began to decline.
 |
| Barcelona's statue of Christopher Columbus (I think every city has one) |
Colonization of the Americas reduced the financial
importance of Mediterranean trade, further reducing Barcelona's importance. Barcelona supported Catalan separatism (a concept still supported today), including
the Catalan Revolt (1640-52) against Philip IV of Spain. The great plague of
1650-1654 halved the city's population. Much of Barcelona was negatively
affected by the Napoleonic wars, but the start of industrialization saw the
fortunes of the province improve.
 |
| Industrial roof |
That was reversed with the fall of the city in
the Spanish Civil War in 1939, after which autonomous institutions were
abolished and the Catalan language was suppressed, leading to a mass exodus of
civilians to the French border. But, Barcelona remained relatively industrialized
and prosperous, resulting in large-scale immigration from poorer regions
of Spain (particularly Andalusia, Murcia and Galicia), which in turn led to
rapid urbanization. The city gained vitality in 1992 when it hosted the Olympic
games.
 |
| Frank Gehry's Fish in the Olympic Village |
People in Barcelona speak both Spanish and Catalan, which
evolved directly from common Latin. It does not derive from Spanish or French,
even though it sounds like a mixture of both.
Barcelona was special because we met up with Scott's brother, Craig, and his wife, Cheri. They had taken a cruise and visited several Spanish and Portuguese ports before arriving in Barcelona. We spent a day and a half together.
 |
| Cheri, Craig and me |
The first night we went on a tapas walk in the Gothic Quarter. The guided tour include walking down narrow streets ...
 |
| Exploring Barcelona |
... and sampling tapas and pintxos (a Basque version of tapas on pieces of bread) at several restaurants ...
 |
| Pintxos and tapas; Left photo: Supra International travel |
The walk included at stop at the Mercat de Sant Josep de la Boqueria, often referred to as La Boqueria, a large public market in the Ciutat Vella district of Barcelona.
 |
| Pretty sign |
The first mention of the Boqueria market in Barcelona dates from 1217, when tables were installed near the old city gate to sell meat. From December 1470 onwards, a pig market known as Mercat Bornet was held there.
 |
| Meat is still a popular item ... |
 |
| ... as is salt cod ... |
Later, until 1794, the market was known simply as Mercat de la Palla, or straw market. In the beginning, the market was not enclosed and had no official status, being regarded simply as an extension of the Plaça Nova market, which extended to the Plaça del Pi. Later, the authorities decided to construct a separate market on La Rambla, housing mainly fishmongers and butchers.
 |
| Spaniards love their sausages and ham |
It was not until 1826 that the market was legally recognized, and a convention held in 1835 decided to build an official structure.
 |
| Dried fruits |
The market officially opened in 1840, but the plans for the building were modified many times. The inauguration of the structure finally took place in 1853.
 |
| Slicing meat |
A new fish market opened in 1911, and the metal roof that still exists today was constructed in 1914.
 |
| We also walked around to admire the architecture ... |
 |
| ... and the shops selling all kinds of delicacies ... |
We saw the Portaferrisa fountain which has a tile mural depicting Barcelona's second set of walls and the early Rambla. As the inscription on the fountain explains, the Porta Ferrica, or Iron Door, was named for an iron measuring stick that was attached to the wood and used in the 13th and 14th centuries as a standard for measuring goods.
 |
| Tile mural |
One storefront had examples of gegants (giants), large papier mache figures used for festivals in Barcelona. Their origins can be found in the Catholic Church's efforts in the Middle Ages to share Bible stories with an illiterate public, which gave rise to theatrical representations of key concepts.
 |
| Historic display |
Costumes were basic in the beginning with furs worn to represent animals and wings for angels. They became more sophisticated over time, with the eventual creation of the carcassa - the frame by which a person carries the gegant. For some time, the female giant was a fashion trendsetter, with bourgeois women waiting to see what she would wear, then buying an outfit accordingly. In contrast, the male had to wear the same items year after year.
Many of the buildings we saw were embellished ...
 |
| Intricate artwork |
We also saw the famous neogothic bridge across Carrer del Bisbe.
 |
| It isn't as old as it looks; it was built between 1883 and 1895 |
That night and the next day, we took a hop on/hop off bus tour.
 |
| Cheri, Scott and Craig |
Among the sights we saw were ...
 |
| The marina district |
 |
| Modern skyscrapers |
 |
| The iconic Agbar Tower, designed by Jean Nouvel |
We also saw the La Monumental bullring, which is used for special events and concerts ...
 |
| Barcelona outlawed bullfighting in 2012 |
... La Rambla, the main street ...
 |
| This is unusual; it's normally crowded |
Rambla derives from an Arabic term meaning "dry riverbed," which it was before it was paved over. I have seen signs and write-ups that call it "La Rambla," "Les Ramblas" and "Las Ramblas." All are the same.
Down in the marina district is the Transbordador Aeri del Port cable car.
 |
| We would have loved to ride -- but it was very windy |
The area also has modern sculptures, including the Onades sculpture by Andreu Alfaro.
 |
| Onades means waves; Right photo: Hole in the Donut Cultural Travel |
The historic Aduana (Customs House) in the Plaza del Portal de la Pau, which features winged Sphinxes its towers.
 |
| The Customs House was built between 1896 and 1902 |
 |
| Barcelona Cathedral |
... and the more modest Santa Maria del Pi (St. Mary of the Pine Tree), a 14th-century Gothic church in the Plaça del Pi in the Gothic Quarter.
 |
| Santa Maria del Pi |
There are unsubstantiated claims that there was an early Christian church on the site in 413. However it is known that in 987 there was a small Romanesque church dedicated to the Blessed Lady of the Pine Tree (one of the titles of the Virgin Mary) outside the city walls west of Barcelona.
 |
| Roseate window, outside |
A Catalan Gothic church with a single nave almost devoid of ornamentation was built between 1319 and 1391. It was gutted by fire in 1936 and was later restored. The front facade has a large rose window, which is a faithful 1940 reproduction of the original window, which was destroyed in the fire.
 |
| Roseate window, inside |
The tympanum of the main entrance is divided by two small columns into three arched areas. The floor plan of the church comprises a single nave made up of seven rectangular sections, each covered with a vaulted ceiling and with side-chapels placed between the supporting pillars.
Even though the church is considered "somewhat modest," it has some very ornate statues.
 |
| Somewhat modest? |
The fire destroyed the high altar, altarpiece, statues, choir stalls and organ. The alabaster high altar by Joaquim de Ros i de Ramis was installed in 1967.
 |
| No original stained-glass windows survive; the oldest date from 1718 |
One interesting building was The Dragon of La Rambla, which I believe is a private club (maybe even a cannibis club). Starting in the late 1860s, Japanese art became very popular, leading to a movement based in Paris called "Japonisme." Since Barcelona was only 24 hours by train from the French capital, it quickly spread to Spain. The building has a remarkable embellishments: a dragon statue and closed and open umbrellas ...
 |
| The decorations reflect that this was originally an umbrella shop |
Of course, Barcelona also has some very avant garde modern buildings.
 |
| Barcelona is known for embracing unusual architecture |
You'll see more about that in my next posts, which will explore several iconic Antoni Gaudi projects. That's in addition to his La Pedrera ...
 |
| Not my favorite style |
... and, Casa Josep Batlló, which we passed on the bus ...
 |
| But, they are original |
This ornate house is built along the Passeig de Gracia, which features a number of mansions built to impress.
 |
| Apartments |
After touring the city, we headed out to the La Barceloneta neighborhood for dinner.
The neighborhood was constructed during the 18th century for the residents of the Ribera neighborhood who had been displaced by the construction of the Ciutadella of Barcelona, a big park. La Barceloneta has a lot of community pride; it even has its own flag.
It is a colorful community known for its sandy beach and boardwalk restaurants and nightclubs ...
 |
| Blues isn't supposed to be that happy, but his style had a bit of Texas Swing to it |
There were even audience members who joined the jam ...
 |
| Impromptu piano and harmonica solos |
 |
| Before the crowds |
Of course, as we left to turn in for the night, most Barcelonans were just coming out for their evening fun.
They usually eat very late and then stay up all night drinking and socializing.
In fact, many clubs catering to locals don't even open until midnight.
We were just too old, or too American, for that.
The next day, after Craig and Cheri had left, Scott and I spent our last day in Spain traveling up to Castell de Montjuïc, an old military fortress, with roots dating back from 1640.
 |
| Castell de Montjuïc |
It is built on top of Montjuïc hill and looks down onto Barcelona.
 |
| Looking up to Castell de Montjuïc |
Castell de Montjuïc currently serves as a Barcelona municipal facility.
 |
| It is also a tourist attraction |
While we were there, it was also serving as location for some kind of film.
 |
| Obviously a war movie |
 |
| The roof was a nice spot for a portrait |
The fort saw its first battle in 1641 during the Catalan Revolt when the Principality of Catalonia challenged Spain's authority (they are still doing that). Spain crushed the revolt and recaptured several cities, but they were defeated at the Battle of Montjuïc by Catalan.
In 1694, new bastions and battlements were erected and the fortress became a castle. In 1705, the British captured the castle in the Siege of Barcelona.
 |
| A pretty spring scene |
The original fort was demolished in 1751; with a new castle being constructed between 1779 and 1799.
 |
| Tower and clock |
It was also during this time that the castle was equipped with 120 cannons.
 |
| Canon pointing toward the city |
During the Napoleonic Wars, the French Army entered Barcelona, and, on orders from Napoleon, captured the castle without firing a shot because the troops guarding the castle were ordered not to fight the French.
 |
| Top of the castle |
In the last 350 years, Montjuïc Castle has played a decisive role in the history of Barcelona. It is the symbol of the Catalan defeat of Spain in 1714.
Since then the Montjuïc cannons have bombarded the city and its citizens on various occasions, and Montjuïc has been used as a prison and torture centre repeatedly for three centuries.
 |
| Parts do have a dungeon-y look |
Tortures continued all the way up to 1939 and the name, Montjuïc . has come to be synonymous with mistreating prisoners.
 |
| What was this used for? |
We drove, but you can also get there by the Montjuïc cable car, a gondola lift that has its upper station near the castle entrance.
 |
| It's probably a nice ride |
 |
| Communications Tower |
Nearby is Santiago Calatrava's Olympic Flame, also know as the Montjuïc Communications Tower. Completed in 1992, the white tower was built for Telefónica to transmit television coverage of the 1992 Summer Olympics Games in Barcelona. The 446 ft. tower in the Olympic park represents an athlete holding the Olympic Flame. The base is covered with trencadís, Gaudí's mosaic technique created from broken tile shards. Because of the tower's orientation, it works also as a giant sundial, using Europa square to indicate the hour.
Barcelona is a beautiful and eccentric city. Watch for my next blogs about some of the most eclectic parts.
 |
| Left: Guell; Right: Sagrada Familia |
Trip date: April 25-May 15, 2015
No comments:
Post a Comment