Sight-seeing in Barcelona

The Roman Temple

Like Rome, while walking around the surface streets of Barcelona you are actually on the the "second or third story" of a rich layer of history. Everywhere one excavates, on finds the ruins of the earlier Roman Empire. Some of it important enough to preserve for history, like the Roman Temple.

Located on Carrer Paradís are the remains of a Roman temple, which used to be situated in the forum, or public square, of the city and where a large part of the public buildings were found. Four columns joined by an architrave and a part of the podium, which was reached by a stairway, are preserved. Religious ceremonies were
never carried out inside the temple, but rather in front of the building. They know that it was devoted to the cult of divinised emperors.

Around Barcelona

T H E B O R N D I S T R I C T

Our friend, Philip has renovated more homes and flats than he cares to mention but he was smart enough to buy a flat in the "Gothic" section of Barcelona, when it was still a dicey area to live, now the most desirable place to live in Barcelona. Property in Barcelona has seen 500 and 600 per cent increases ever since it was rediscovered after the Olympics in 1992. The "gothic" section is the 1,000+ year old section of the original city with tight, winding streets now lined with great restaurants and galleries. One of the most exciting areas is called the Born District. Ancient and venerable in architecture which dates to the 12th century, it is also a vibrant and lively shopping area by day, and at night, filled with nightclubs, bars and restaurants. The heart of the Born is wrapped around the Church of Santa Maria del Mar (built in 1134), and we often walked to the Born after dinner for a fresh gelato.

Alberto in Barcelona 2006

Santa Maria del Mar in the Born District, Barcelona 2006

click to play

Street performer / violinist in the Born, finds a unique way to supplement her income

T H E R A M B L A S

Las Ramblas" is the Arabic word for "dry flowers". Las Ramblas is divided in five sections including an area with bird sellers and an area that sells flowers. It runs perpendicular to the Marina. It's head starts at the Plaza Catalunya and ends at the Marina. We never saw the Ramblas when it wasn't absolutely packed with strolling crowds and street performers like the"living statues". Great shopping and every side street leads to plazas, shops and restaurants.

Las Ramblas, Barcelona 2006

Las Ramblas (from www.barcelona.com)

One of our favorite "living statues". Her garment was cleverly decorated with soda pop bottle caps and pull tabs sprayed gold.

T H E P I C A S S O M U S E U M

IN THE BORN DISTRICT

The Picasso museum is "the" museum to visit in Barcelona. For the artist and for the building. On Moncada street, in the Gothic Born District, five medieval palaces are linked together to make the museum.

The genius of the young Picasso is revealed through more than 3,500 works that make up the permanent collection.

I think the most fascinating aspect of the museum is the work from his childhood, which clearly shows his genius in composition and painting technique even as an adolescent.

Contains oils and drawings from Picasso's Barcelona period and even some works from later stages in his career. The Museum also has a set of 42 pieces of ceramic (vases, dishes and plates) made in the 1950s and bequeathed by Jacqueline Picasso in 1982.

Portrait of Juame Sabarte's as a Spanish Grandee

Picasso used to dress up his friends in the most unlikely ways. He also made a caricature of his friend Jaume Sabartés. This portrait has distortions that completely fracture the center line of his head, giving him a totally ambiguous appearance. In this painting, subtle flesh colors and the pompon on the hat, ambiguity is again obvious in the uneasy, almost distressing realism, despite the marked facial distortions.*

*text and images from http://www.museupicasso.bcn.es/

"The Dove Cote" Pablo Picasso 1955

T H E C A T H E D R A L O F B A R C E L O N A

An earlier cathedral, founded in the 6th century, once existed on this site. Before that a Roman temple and later a Moorish mosque occupied the site. The most distant origins of the Cathedral of Barcelona correspond to a basilica with three naves which was destroyed by Al -Mansur (925 C.E.). The remains of this basilica can be seen in the City History Museum .

Around 1046, a new cathedral was initiated by Bishop Guislabert. The present-day basilica began in 1298, during the bishopric of Bernat Pelegrí and the reign of King Jaume II, known as "the Just". The work on the present-day façade of the Cathedral remained unfinished until the end of the last century, being completed by the architects Josep Oriol Mestres and August Fonti Carreras, taking inspiration from a drawing from the 15th century by Mestre Carlí.

Although the Romanesque chapel of Santa Llúcia (on the far right facade) remains, most of the cathedral is clearly Gothic.
The crypt contains the remains of Santa Eulàlia, the first patron saint of Barcelona and the saint to whom the cathedral is dedicated.

The front plaza is a great place is sprawl out and people-watch. Every day, something was happening; music, street theater, food fairs, etc. On Thursday's we enjoyed the antique fair in front on the plaza.