Exploring Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter: A Perfect Half-day Itinerary

Barcelona's Gothic Quarter

With over two thousand years of history, Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter is a labyrinth of narrow streets and striking Gothic architecture that dates back to the Middle Ages and the times of the Roman Empire. Located between Plaça de Catalunya and the Port Vell Harbour, the Gothic Quarter is the heart of the Old City and…

Monument to the People Executed Between 1939 and 1952

Parapet de les Executades i executats

The parapet of the people executed 1939-1952 (Catalan: Parapet de les executades i executats 1939-1952) is a fifty-five metre-long memorial to the 1,706 people executed in Barcelona during the early years of Franco’s dictatorship. The executions were by firing squad, and victims were lined up against a concrete wall which stood next to an area…

The Monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes (and how to get there)

The monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes

The Monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes is a Romanesque-style Benedictine monastery which overlooks the Costa Brava, one hundred and fifty kilometres north of Barcelona. Legend has it that the monastery was built by monks who fled from Rome during the seventh century, taking with them the remains of Saint Peter. In reality, the first…

The Controversial Monument to Slave Trader Antonío López y López

All that remains of the monument to Antonío Lopez, Plaça Idrissa Diallo, Barcelona

Many of Barcelona’s squares and plazas feature large and impressive statues. Some of the statues are decorative works of art, while others are monuments which honour famous people. Some of the monuments honour kings or heroes of yesteryear. Others feature famous artists, writers, politicians and wealthy businessmen. One such monument was the statue of Antonio…

Monument to Lluís Companys (Statue of a girl with a handkerchief)

Monument to Lluís Companys, Barcelona

Born in Tarrós in 1882, Lluis Companys was one of the founding members of the Catalan political party Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya and served as president of the Generalitat de Catalunya from 1934 until he was executed in 1940. The first part of the twentieth century was a time of political unrest and upheaval in…

Hercules Fountains & The Origins Of Barcelona

Statue of Hercules (Heracles) on Passeig de Sant Juan, Barcelona

According to legend, Barcelona was founded by the Greek God Heracles, who, together with his brother Hermes, accompanied Jason and the Argonauts, searching for the Golden Fleece. The brothers set sail with a fleet of nine ships, one of which was lost in a storm somewhere in the Mediterranean. After days of searching for the…

Monument to the Heroes of 1809

Monument to the Heroes of 1809

Commonly referred to as the Monument to the Martyrs of Independence, The Monument to the Heroes of 1809 is dedicated to eight people who were executed after a failed attempt to drive occupying French troops out of Barcelona. The Martyrs of Independence During the Peninsula War (1807 – 1814) Barcelona was occupied by Napoleon’s army…

Basilica of La Mercè

Bronze statue of Our Lady of Mercy

It may not be as well known as Barcelona’s other historic churches, but the Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy (Catalan: La Basílica de la Mare de Déu de la Mercè) is a worthy addition to your list of things to see in the Gothic Quarter. The basilica’s stunning interior consists of a nave flanked…

Barcelona’s Oldest Fountain: El Font de Santa Ana

The Font de Santa Ana fountain was built in 1365

From the narrow streets and alleyways of the Gothic Quarter to the wide boulevards of l’Eixample district, wherever you go in Barcelona you’ll see fountains of all shapes and sizes. The earliest fountains were built during the middle ages to provide water for Barcelona’s inhabitants and livestock. Simple and functional, early fountains were sparsely decorated…

Estació de França Railway Station

Barcelona Estaçió de França railway station

Barcelona França railway station (Catalan: Estaçió de França) was built in 1926 in preparation for the Barcelona International Exhibition which took place in 1929. The Noucentista style station was designed by Pedro Muguruza and Andreu Muntaner as the main terminus for trains arriving from France. Nowadays, the station has largely been superseded by Barcelona Sants…

Monument to Narcís Monturiol : Inventor of the Steam Powered Submarine

Monument to Narcís Monturiol

Located on Avinguda Diagonal, this four and a half metre concrete and bronze monument to inventor and political activist Narcís Monturiol i Estarriol was inaugurated in 1963. Created by Josep Maria Subirachs, the monument includes a replica of Monturiol’s most famous invention, the steam-powered submarine Ictíneo II, first launched in the Port of Barcelona in…

The Foundling Wheel at Plaça de Viçenc Martorell

The fondling wheel at Plaça de Viçenc Martorell

Many of Barcelona’s civic centres and local council offices are located in historic buildings, many of which originally belonged to private individuals or the church. One such building is the Citizen Services Office (Seu del Districte de Ciutat Vella) located at Plaça de Viçenc Martorell in Barcelona’s El Raval neighbourhood. The building dates back to the…

The Cerdà Houses and the Origins of the Eixample District

Casa Cerdà building at Carrer de Roger de Llúria, 49

In the 1850’s Barcelona was booming and the medieval walls which surrounded the Gothic Quarter were torn down to allow the city to grow. The city council asked several architects and city planners to submit plans for a new suburb which would envelope surrounding villages such as Gràcia, Sarría and el Clot. The councillors initially…

Monument to US Servicemen

Monument to American sailors and marines

On the night of January 17th 1977, 49 American servicemen lost their lives in a tragic accident in Barcelona harbour. The men, who were serving aboard the USS Guam and USS Trenton, had been enjoying a few hours of shore leave in Barcelona and were returning to their ships when the small boat they were…

The First Building Designed by Antoni Gaudí

Nau Gaudí, Mataró

No matter how brief your stay in Barcelona, the chances are you will visit at least one building designed by Antoni Gaudí. A mixture of modernisme, surrealism and Gothicism combined with innovative engineering, Gaudi’s unique architectural style has shaped many of the city’s most famous landmarks and influenced generations of architects. Although most of Gaudi’s…

Monument to Francesc Cambó

Francesc Cambó i Batlle

Born in Verges in 1876, Francesc Cambó was a wealthy conservative politician, lawyer, author, philanthropist and Catalan nationalist. He founded the Regionalist League, was member of the Spanish government, promoted Catalan culture and collected art (a large part of his collection is on display in Barcelona’s MNAC museum). Shortly after the Second Spanish Republic was proclaimed in…

El Fossar de les Moreres

El Fossar de les Moreres - The grave of the mulberry trees

In the heart of the Ribera district, the Fossar de Les Moreres is a sombre reminder of Barcelona’s turbulent history. The site has been a burial ground since medieval times and in 1714 citizens who died defending the city during the siege of Barcelona were buried here in a mass grave. Because of this the…

Monument to Doctor Trueta

The Doctor Trueta Monument on the Rambla de Poblenou

Josep Trueta Raspall was born in the Poblenou neighbourhood of Barcelona in 1897. He studied medicine at the University of Barcelona and in 1921 started working as an assistant surgeon in the Hospital de la Santa Creus I Sant Pau. By the onset of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 Dr. Trueta had already started…

Statue of Pau Claris

Monument to Pau Claris,Passeig Lluis Companys, Barcelona

This bronze statue of Pau Claris was inaugurated in 1880 and originally stood on what is now Via Laietana. It was withdrawn from public display during the Spanish Civil War, as were other monuments to famous Catalan figures such as Dr Bartomeu Robert and Rafael Casanova. In 1977 the statues were restored and reinstated in…

Sir Winston Churchill Monument

Detail of the Winston Churchill Monument, Barcelona

Sir Winston Churchill and Barcelona Winston Churchill was undoubtedly one of the most important figures of the 20th Century. His leadership inspired the British people to stand up for freedom during the second world war. Hitler backed Franco and used the Spanish Civil War to perfect techniques which were later used by the Nazis in…

Monument to Francesc Macià

Portrait of Francesc Masia

Francesc Macià i Llussà was President of the Generalitat de Catalunya from 1932 until his death in 1933. Born in September 1859, Macià grew up in Vilanova i la Geltrú (a medium-sized town approximately 50 kilometres south of Barcelona). After a spell in the Spanish army, he fought for Catalan independence and formed the political…