What to visit in Barcelona - TYS Touristic Guide by Trainyoursummer

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SUMMARY 1. Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 1 2. The Roman Route …………………………………………………………………………………………… 2 3. The Medieval Route ……………………………………………………………………………………… 4 4. The Modernist Route ……………………………………………………………………………………… 7 5. The Contemporary Route ……………………………………………………………………………… 9 6. Gaudí’s Route ………………………………………………………………………………………….…… 11 7. Picasso’s Route ……………………………………………………………………………………….……… 13 8. Miró’s Route …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 15 9. The Parks ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 17 10. Lluís Domènech i Muntaner’s Route ……………………………………………………………… 19 11. Josep Puig i Cadalfach’s Route ……………………………………………………………………… 21 12. Contact …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 23

1. INTRODUCTION Enjoy the beautiful city of Barcelona; Barcelona is life, come and experience it, and fall in love with every little corner. Harmoniously integrating tradition and modernity, Barcelona combines the architectural evidence of its Roman and Medieval past with both Modernism (Catalan Art Nouveau) –with Gaudí as the leading exponent of this architectural style– and gems of contemporary architecture such as the Agbar tower.

So, how many “Barcelonas” are you ready to get to know?

THE ROMAN ROUTE

A tour through the Roman Barcelona is a box of surprises, containing archaeological remains dating from the time the city was established. Barcino, the Roman city founded in the 1st century BC, has left us a valuable legacy, which can be found in the Gothic Quarter, the site of the early walled city.

A route exploring the perimeter of the Roman wall reveals the ancient remains in places such as the Plaça Ramón Berenguer, Carrer Tapineria and the Plaça Nova. The latter is the former site of one of Barcelona's gates. Two towers from the wall bear witness to the fact that carriages and pedestrians once entered the city through here. On one side, adjoining the Casa de l'Ardiaca, or Archdeacon's House, is a section of a modern replica of one of the city's aqueducts. This marked the beginning of one of the main roads in the Roman colony, the former Cardus, today Carrer del Bisbe, which was bisected by the Decumanus a few metres ahead, now Baixada de la Llibreteria. The Roman Forum stood at the junction of both roads, and is now the site of the Plaça de Sant Jaume. The imposing remains of four columns from the Temple of Augustus can still be seen on Carrer Paradís, in the premises of the ramblers' association, the Centre Excursionista de Catalunya. Nearby, in the Plaça del Rei, the Museu d'Història de Barcelona showcases the interesting archaeological ensemble of the ancient Roman colony of Barcino. The Plaça Villa de Madrid, which stands outside the walled precinct, contains 70 tombs from the city's ancient necropolis.

3. THE MEDIEVAL ROUTE A visit to the medieval Barcelona is one of the most fascinating city itineraries. The power wielded by the Crown of Catalonia and Aragon over the Mediterranean during the Middle Ages has left a valuable legacy of palazzos, churches and civic buildings. Most of them can be found in the old town, Ciutat Vella.

The Plaça del Rei was the nerve centre of historic Barcelona. Nearby, City Hall, reveals the medieval roots of this institution and, just a short distance away, the Cathedral stands out among the Gothic and neo-Gothic buildings, competing with such beautiful churches as Santa Maria del Pi and the magnificent Santa Maria del Mar, in the Ribera neighbourhood. The palazzos on Carrer Montcada are also well worth a visit. The street is also crammed with museums and art galleries.

On the Via Laietana, the Plaça Ramón Berenguer displays its harmonious outline nestling among the city's Roman and medieval legacy. The city's oldest churches, Sant Pere de les Puel·les and Sant Pau del Camp, built in the Romanesque style, look on impassively at the passage of time in the neighbourhoods of Sant Pere and the Raval.

Near the waterfront, there are Gothic-style civic buildings which speak about Barcelona's medieval seafaring past, such as the former grain exchange La Llotja and the shipyards, the Reials Drassanes, the home of the Museu MarĂtim de Barcelona. Further away from the city centre, the Monestir de Pedralbes is a secluded, peaceful spot, and on MontjuĂŻc, a visit to the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, puts the icing on the cake during this tour of medieval Barcelona.

4. THE MODERNIST ROUTE Barcelona and its home-grown art nouveau movement, modernism, go hand in hand. The style emerged in all its glory at the end of the 19th century to reveal itself in hundreds of extremely beautiful buildings which line the way. Let yourself be captivated once again by these masterpieces in a style full of opulence, fantasy, symbolism and colour.

It is the Eixample district, and more specifically the area known as the "Quadrat d'Or" (Golden Square), which contains the greatest number of modernist buildings, although this architectural style can be found in many other places around the city. In the old town, Ciutat Vella, there is the incomparable Palau de la MĂşsica, and in the Parc de la Ciutadella, the building which is home to the Museu de CiĂ¨ncies Naturals i Zoologia. The Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau is one of the nine modernist masterpieces in Barcelona which have been declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. Barcelona is certainly the European city where art-nouveau architecture has the greatest presence in the physiognomy and personality of the cit

5. THE CONTEMPORARY ROUTE Barcelona is known throughout the world for its architecture. This is why the city didn't want to fall behind in the race to have some of the world's finest contemporary buildings. The names of today's great architects and artists are present in almost every city neighbourhood.

The city's contemporary art museum, the Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona, or MACBA, stands in the heart of the Raval neighbourhood and opened in 1995. It is one of many buildings designed by internationally renowned architects: in this instance, Richard Meier. However, Barcelona's unique contemporary architecture also includes such outstanding buildings as the Agbar Tower, by Jean Nouvel; the Collserola Tower, by Norman Foster; L'Auditori, by Rafael Moneo; the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya (TNC), by Ricard Bofill; the Bac de Roda Bridge, by Santiago Calatrava. Entire neighbourhoods in Barcelona are linked to post-modern architecture, such as the Olympic Village, which was built on a disused industrial site in Poblenou overlooking the sea. The Olympic Ring on Montjuïc features the Palau Sant Jordi, by the Japanese architect Arata Isozaki, and nearby, the Barcelona Botanical Gardens stretch up the hillside with their network of accessible terraces. You can also lose yourself in the city's many parks and discover contemporary public sculptures and bold designs. Some of the most outstanding can be found in the Parc de l'Estació del Nord, the Parc de l'Espanya Industrial, and the Parc de Joan Miró, which is presided over by the artist's monumental sculpture.

6. GAUDÍ’S ROUTE Gaudí is a name associated with Barcelona who needs to be discovered while you admire his finest landmarks: a treasure trove of forms, ideas, symbols and fantasy which is hard to surpass. The Gaudí landmarks in Barcelona give a greater understanding of one of the most famous architects who ever worked in the city.

The centre of the Eixample district, on the Passeig de Gràcia, features some of Antoni Gaudí's most striking and best-known buildings. On the corner of Carrer Provença, stands the Casa Milà, popularly known as La Pedrera, the Catalan for stone quarry, with its undulating forms reminiscent of the waves of the ocean. Further down the street is the Casa Batlló, a metaphor for the legend of Saint George and the dragon. From here you can follow Gaudí's footsteps to his key work, the Sagrada Família, an unfinished architectural compendium which has become the symbol of Barcelona. But Gaudí's works don't end here. Parc Güell is essential in order to understand the Gaudiesque interplay between nature and architecture. The gatehouses to the Güell Estate, near the Palau de Pedralbes, the crypt of the church in the Colònia Güell and the Palau Güell, on Carrer Nou de la Rambla, also bear the name of his main patron, Eusebi Güell. The Casa Calvet, the magnificent Casa Vicens, and the Torre Bellesguard, are other examples of his work we can admire in Barcelona, as well as the less well-known convent school, the Col·legi de les Teresianes, a splendid building in the neighbourhood of Sarrià. Barcelona is Gaudí's city, the place where this worldrenowned genius left his unique imprint.

7. PICASSO’S ROUTE When the Malaga-born painter arrived in Barcelona he was only 14. The city offered him the art school, La Llotja, as well as the stunning light of the Mediterranean. Picasso donated a large number of his works to Barcelona which can be seen today at the city’s Museu Picasso.

Barcelona is a key element when trying to understand Picasso's life. The artist spent his formative years in the city, studying at the art school, La Llotja. The academy was housed in a Gothic building in the Plaça Palau, and was near his home in the Porxos d'en Xifré. From the terrace, the young Malaga-born painter observed and painted the rooftops and captured the Mediterranean light. The Museu Picasso is just a short distance away, on Carrer Montcada, in the neighbourhood of La Ribera. Housed in five Gothic palazzos which date back to the Middle Ages, the museum opened in 1963, thanks to the efforts of his secretary and friend Jaume Sabartés. It features a collection of Picasso's earliest works, as well as a number of paintings from the Blue Period and the famous series based on Las Meninas, as well as a valuable collection of ceramics donated by the painter's last wife, Jacqueline Picasso. A short distance from the museum, the Plaça Nova features the artist's only piece of public art in the city: the three friezes on the façade of the Col·legi d'Arquitectes building executed by the Norwegian sculptor and photographer Carl Nesjar according to original drawings by Picasso.

8. MIRÓ’S ROUTE The Barcelona-born artist Joan Miró left the city a legacy and an imprint which can be glimpsed all over the city. Miró’s desire to investigate and explore new avenues of creativity splashes the colourful city of Barcelona with his characteristic colours and forms. He does so inside the Fundació Miró, but in the street as well.

The passers-by who walk along La Rambla tread relentlessly on the mosaic by Joan Miró in the Pla de l'Ós, which was inaugurated in 1976. Miró knew the site well because it was located close to number 4, Passatge del Crèdit, the house where he was born in 1893. People coming to Barcelona by air are welcomed by another work by Miró: a large ceramic mural that decorates the wall of Terminal B, created in 1970 in association with the ceramicist Josep Llorenç Artigas. Here, the use of primary colours and shapes related to the world of dreams are unmistakable. And the same is true of the sculpture Dona i Ocell (Woman and Bird), which has stood since 1983 in the reflecting pool in the Parc de Joan Miró, named after the artist a few months before his death. However, it is the Fundació Miró, which opened in 1975 in a magnificent building designed by Josep Lluís Sert, where you can gain the greatest insight into Miró's work in Barcelona: valuable sculptures, tapestries, ceramics and paintings which make this museum a must.

9. THE PARKS There are many different sides of Barcelona: the Barcelona with its traditional neighbourhoods, the Gothic, modernist and contemporary city… but there is also a green Barcelona, the Barcelona of parks and gardens. You’ll find them dotted around the city. These green spaces are always interesting, whether it be for their plants, urban design or sculptures.

Barcelona is a city where you can stroll through a wide variety of public parks and gardens. Parks with wooded areas and shady spots, parks with green spaces where you can sunbathe, find fountains, lakes, sculptures and children's play areas. Barcelona is flanked by two vast green "lungs": the Parc de Collserola, a protected natural site covering a surface area of some 8,000 hectares, and the Parc de Montjuïc, spread over a hill which conceals a treasure trove of gardens, including the Botanical Gardens. The romantic Parc del Laberint, the Parc de Cervantes and the popular Parc de la Ciutadella retain the flavour of classical gardens. At the foot of the Collserola Ridge, a number of wooded parks are scattered around the hillside neighbourhoods. Mediterranean plants and trees abound in the Parc de l'Oreneta, the Parc de la Guineueta and Turó de la Peira. Nearby, in the district of Gràcia, the Parc Güell reveals Gaudí's imprint. And for lovers of the modern, Barcelona is an endless source of possibilities where you can discover the design of new green spaces which seek to integrate nature and town planning. Examples include the Parc de Diagonal Mar, the Parc Central de Nou Barris, and the parks that have been created on former industrial and railway sites, such as the Parc de l'Estació del Nord and the Parc del Clot.

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LLUÍS DOMÈNECH I MUNTANER’S ROUTE

Lluís Domènech i Muntaner was a humanist who knew how to integrate modernity and tradition into works of great beauty, which contributed to the splendour of modernism in Barcelona.

When Domènech i Montaner was completing the Castell dels Tres Dragons, which was the restaurant for the 1888 Universal Exhibition, he unveiled the essence of an architectural style defined by a blend of classic, historicist and traditional shapes with the colour and decorative symbolism of the buildings. Only a humanist like Domènech i Montaner, who was also a historian, teacher, politician and architect, could epitomise the culmination of the modernist style in Catalonia, based on a modern architecture which reflected the Catalan national identity. Indeed, his commitment to the political and cultural Catalan movement, marked the life and work of this Barcelona-born architect. He is considered the master and founder of the modernist style and developed an innovative language based on the integration of all the arts. This means that Domènech i Montaner's private residences – such as the Casa Lleó Morera, the Casa Fuster and the Palau Montaner – and his most widely acclaimed public buildings, – including the Palau de la Música Catalana and the wonderful Sant Pau Recinte Modernista complex, which have both been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites – skilfully combine the refined modernist aesthetic with its sinuous curves, plant motifs, with increasingly light and rational formal, functional and modern structures.

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JOSEP PUIG I CADALFACH’S ROUTE

Josep Puig i Cadalfach worked on an architecture which evolved from modernism to neocentism but never eschewed traditional forms.

Puig i Cadafalch was a politician who became president of the Mancomunitat de Catalunya (the Commonwealth of Catalonia which covered the four Catalan provincial administrations) from 1917 to 1925. He was also an archaeologist and an expert in Romanesque art, who was instrumental in excavating the ruins at Empúries, as well as the director of the Institut d'Estudis Catalans. And, of course, he was one of the most prolific architects and town planners in the first half of the 20th century. He was born in the town of Mataró and became one of the key figures in shaping the Catalan nationalist movement. He was the architect behind such modernist landmarks as the Casa Amatller, the Casa Martí (Els Quatre Gats), the Casa Terrades (Casa de les Punxes) and the Casa Macaya. They all bear the imprint of someone who always drew inspiration from the traditional forms of Catalan mansions, the Gothic style and the influence of northern European trends, which used new materials such as exposed brick, tiles and wrought iron to imbue buildings with a medieval feel. Josep Puig i Cadafalch was also a master of industrial architecture with major buildings such as the Casaramona Factory, and evolved from modernism towards an increasingly rationalist architecture culminating in his latter monumental neocentist period. The best example of this is the layout of the Plaça Espanya as the gateway to the 1929 International Exhibition.

Come to see it with your own eyes and discover this little marvellous treasure. We are waiting for you!

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CONTACT

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