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…
Tag: gothic quarter
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,…
Santa Maria del Mar – Barcelona’s Cathedral of the Sea
The Basilica de Santa Maria del Mar was built during the 14th century on a site which was once occupied by a Roman Amphitheatre. The church took 55 years to build and is a rare example of pure Catalan Gothic architecture (most churches and cathedrals are a combination of styles). The simplicity of design and…
The Dark History of Plaça de Sant Felip Neri
When I took this photo, I was planning on writing an article explaining how the bullet-scarred walls of the Església de Sant Felip Neri church are a monument to the people executed here by Franco’s troops during the Spanish Civil War. I’m not entirely sure where I got that version of events from, but it…
Enriqueta Martí – The Vampire of the Raval
With a population of approximately 50,000 people, Barcelona’s El Raval neighbourhood has always had a rather dodgy reputation. Despite being the home of one of the world’s most famous food markets (the Boqueria), Barcelona’s grandest theatre (El Liceu) and two of my favourite museums (the MACBA and the Maritime Museum). Not to mention loads of excellent restaurants…
MUHBA Via Sepulcral Romana – Roman Burial Ground
The Via Sepulcral Romana dates back to the first century AD. During the period of the Roman Empre cemeteries were built outside the city limits. In this case the tombs lined the road between Barcino (Barcelona) and nearby Sarria. The cemetery was discovered in the 1950s when buildings which had been badly damaged by bombs…
The Best Ice Cream in Barcelona
What better way to cool off when it’s hot and sunny than a delicious home made ice cream? The best ice creams that I’ve found so far in Barcelona are served at “La Campana” on “Carrer de la Princesa”. “La Campana” is a small shop with over a century of history ! When it’s not the…
La Casa dels Entremesos: The Giants Museum
No Catalan festival would be complete without a procession of dancing giants. The papier mâché giants date back to the 14th century when they first appeared in Corpus Christi celebrations. Over the years they have been joined by “Capgrossos” (big heads), dragons and other animals. All of which can be seen dancing and whirling their way…
L’Ou Com Balla: Dancing Eggs !
If you like quirky and unusual traditions then you’ll love L’Ou Com Balla aka The Dancing Egg which takes place every year as part of Barcelona’s Corpus Christi celebrations. Basically the idea is that an egg is placed in a fountain and dances suspended by a jet of water. There are a total of 12 eggs…
The Roman Temple of Augustus
Tucked away inside a medieval building in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, there stand four, nine metre high Corinthian columns that are nearly as old as the city itself. The Roman Temple of Augustus dates back to the first century BC and was part of the Forum at the centre of the Roman city of Barcino. During…
The Barcelona History Museum – MUHBA Plaça del Rei
The MUHBA Plaça del Rei is the largest of the Barcelona History Museum’s centres and contains remains of the Roman city of Barcino which were discovered totally by chance during the construction of Via Laietana! History of the MUHBA Plaça del Rei: During the 1930s the medieval Royal Palace was dismantled to make way for…