The Frederic Marès Museum is located in the heart of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, in an impressive medieval building that was formerly part of the Royal Palace. The museum boasts an extensive collection of medieval sculptures as well as tens of thousands of everyday items, which provide insight into the lives of Barcelona’s upper class during…
Tag: gothic quarter
Basilica of Sants Màrtirs Sant Just i Pastor
The Basilica of Sants Màrtirs Sant Just i Pastor dates back to the fourteenth century and was built on the ruins of a fourth-century church, which was itself built on top of a pagan temple dedicated to the deity Mithras from Greco-Roman mythology. The church’s plain exterior, typical of Catalan Gothic architecture, belies the beauty…
Barcelona Cathedral: A Complete Visitor’s Guide
Barcelona’s magnificent Gothic cathedral dates back to the thirteenth century and is one of the city’s oldest and most historic buildings. The cathedral is famous for its ornate Neo-Gothic façade, peaceful cloister and stone gargoyles that channel water from the roof. Other highlights include the elaborately carved choir stalls and the crypt containing the remains…
The Hash Marihuana and Hemp Museum, Barcelona
The Hash Marihuana and Hemp Museum in Barcelona is the world’s largest museum that solely focuses on cannabis. The museum, which opened its doors in 2012, explores the history of cannabis and hemp, including their medicinal, cultural, industrial, and recreational uses. The museum is located in a medieval palace in the Gothic Quarter, where it…
Visiting Barcelona City Hall: Everything You Need to Know
Barcelona’s City Hall is an impressive example of Gothic architecture that has served as the local government’s headquarters since its construction in 1369. Like many other buildings in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, the city hall has been subject to various modifications and additions. However, despite all the changes, parts of the interior have remained unchanged since…
Casa de l’Ardiaca: The Archdeacon’s House
The Casa de l’Ardiaca is a small Gothic building tucked away in plain sight, near the main entrance to Barcelona Cathedral. The building, which is currently home to the city’s historic archive, dates back to the twelfth century when it served as the residence of the archdeacon, a high-ranking member of the clergy. Despite being…
Exploring Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter: A Perfect Half-day Itinerary
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…
From Orwell to ‘Tripi’: The History of Barcelona’s Plaça de George Orwell
Tucked away in the labyrinthine heart of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, Plaça de George Orwell was created in 1989, when an entire block of housing was torn down. The creation of this, and other similar plazas, was conceived as a way of opening up the Gothic Quarter and presumably went hand in hand with the generalized…
The Controversial Monument to Slave Trader Antonío López y López
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…
Neptune’s Fountain: History and Symbolism
Neptune is one of the best known Roman gods and there are fountains dedicated to him in numerous European cities including Rome, Florence, Madrid and Berlin. Neptune’s fountain in Barcelona was inaugurated in 1882. Originally located in the Port Vell harbour, in 1912 the fountain was moved to the Laribal Gardens on Montjuïc where it…
Plaça de Sant Josep Oriol
Plaça de Sant Josep Oriol (St. Josep Oriol’s Square) is located next to the Santa Maria del Pi Basilica in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter. Built on the site of one of the Basilica’s three cemeteries, the square hosts a regular artists market which takes place every weekend. Artists Market One of the delights of exploring Barcelona’s…
The Medieval Fountains of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter
Barcelona was founded by the Romans in the first century AD. As the city’s population increased, two aqueducts were built to bring water from springs in the mountains nearby. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the aqueducts fell into disrepair and were eventually abandoned. During the tenth century AD, a channel called El Rec…
Barcelona’s Medieval Jewish Quarter (El Call)
Barcelona’s medieval Jewish Quarter is a small area of narrow streets and alleyways tucked away behind the Cathedral, in the oldest part of the city centre. The area was abandoned after the pogroms of 1391, almost a hundred years before the Spanish Inquisition and the expulsion of the Jews from Spain. Today, you can learn…
Carmela by Jaume Plensa
Carmela is one of four sculptures by Jaume Plensa which were exhibited at the Palau de la Musica Catalana in 2016. The statue was such a hit with the neighbours that they started a petition on change.org asking the organizers and Barcelona city council to keep it there indefinitely. Carmela Sculpture Carmela was created from…
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
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…
Myths and Legends of Barcelona
With over two thousand years of history, it’s no wonder that Barcelona has more than its fair share of myths, legends and superstitions. From the squares and alleyways of the Gothic Quarter to the peak of Mount Tibidabo, in this post, we uncover the best-known stories. The Vampire of Barcelona At the beginning of the…
10 Things to Do at Barcelona’s Port Vell Harbour
A short walk from the city centre, Barcelona’s Port Vell harbour is one of the most beautiful areas of the city. Popular with visitors and locals alike, and with plenty of things to see and do, it’s a great place to relax with friends and family. Here’s our list of the ten best things to…
Barcelona’s Oldest Fountain: El Font de Santa Ana
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…
The Remnants of Barcelona’s 18th Century Citadel
Centrally located, at the north edge of the old town, the Parc de la Ciutadella is Barcelona’s best known and most popular park. The seventeen-hectare park is home to Barcelona Zoo, the Catalan Parliament Building, two museums, a large fountain, a bandstand, a boating lake and a diverse collection of sculptures and monuments. A green…
21 Most Instagrammable Locations in Barcelona (With Map)
Barcelona is one of Europe’s most photogenic cities with plenty of opportunities to fill your Instagram feed and Facebook timeline with images that will turn your friends back home green with envy. In fact, there are so many Instagram worthy sights that if you’re not careful you might end up missing out on some of…
El Pont del Bisbe: Bishop’s Bridge
One of the most photographed sights in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, El Pont del Bisbe (Bishop’s Bridge) was built for the Barcelona International Exposition, which took place in 1929. The bridge was designed by architect Joan Rubió I Bellver, who suggested that all non-Gothic buildings in the immediate vicinity of Barcelona Cathedral should be demolished and…
The Umbrella House: Casa Bruno Cuadros
One of the most easily recognisable landmarks on Barcelona’s iconic Las Ramblas boulevard, Casa Bruno Cuadros is located half-way between Plaça de Catalunya and the Columbus Monument. Better known as The Umbrella House (Catalan: Casa dels Paraigües) due to the brightly coloured umbrellas which decorate the façade. The building dates back to 1858 and was…
The Foundling 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…
La Parella: The Couple by Lautaro Díaz Silva
One of my favourite walking routes in Barcelona is around the historic Port Vell harbour from the Christopher Columbus monument to the Barceloneta beach. Along the way you can enjoy views of the harbour filled with yachts and historic tall ships, take a look at the classic architecture and admire the diverse collection of contemporary sculptures…
Antoni Llena’s Chicken Wire Tribute to Castellers
Located in Plaça de Sant Miquel behind Barcelona’s City Hall, this unusual 26.5m high stainless steel tower by Antoni Llena i Font was unveiled in 2012 during the Feast of Santa Eulalia. The statue is titled Homenatge als Castellers and is a tribute to the emblematic human towers which are a traditional feature of public…
Monument to Ramon Berenguer the Great
This life size bronze equestrian statue of Ramon Berenguer III was sculpted by Frederic Marès and inaugerated in 1950. Located in Plaça Ramon Berenguer el Gran, the monument is a replica of an earlier statue which was created by Josep Llimona for the Barcelona Universal Exposition of 1888. The Count, who ruled Barcelona from 1097…
Wilfred the Hairy: History and Legends
Tucked away beside the north entrance to Barcelona Cathedral, there is a small stone sculpture of an extremely hairy knight fighting what looks like a griffin. The knight is Wilfred the Hairy (Guifré el Pilòs), who was Count of Barcelona from 878 until his death in 897. Wilfred the Hairy was born in 840 in Prades…
A Storybook Christmas in La Plaça de Sant Jaume
Each December Christmas takes to the streets and plazas of Barcelona in the form of markets, lights, trees and pessebres (nativity scenes). The word pessebre means crib in Catalan and most of the nativity scenes which can be seen in Barcelona follow the traditional format of stable, manger, 3 kings, cows, shepherds etc… One notable…
The World Begins With Every Kiss (The Kiss Mural)
Approaching the Kiss of Freedom mural in Plaça d’Isidre Nonell you’d be forgiven for assuming it’s a large graffiti. As you get closer, you’ll realise that it is, in fact, a mosaic made up of thousands of tiny ceramic tiles. Each individual tile is printed with a photo of a person, a place, a moment,…
