Luca’s Hidden Old Barcelona: the Gothic and El Born Tour

What will we visit on this tour?

• Meeting point:

  Pl. de Sant Jaume, 3, 08002 Barcelona...

  Pl. de Sant Jaume, 3, 08002 Barcelona, Spain

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  We are meeting In front of the STARBUCKS store in Placa Sant Jaume 3, 08002 Barcelona. This is the most important square in town since Roman Times. One finds here the Town Hall (ajutamiento) and the palace of the government of Catalonia ( Generalitat)

• 1
  Outside visit

  Plaça Sant Jaume

  The Plaça Sant Jaume has been the city's political centre almost since its inception. Today the Plaça Sant Jaume is an open space, a "lung" in the middle of the Gothic Quarter. The square is the site of the most important buildings in the lives of Barcelona and Catalonia: City Hall and the Palau de la Generalitat.

• 2
  Outside visit

  Monument als Castellers

  Antoni Llena’s Chicken Wire Tribute to Catalan Human castles.

• 3
  Outside visit

  MUHBA Temple of Augustus

  Inside a small medieval courtyard, the four columns from the Temple of Augustus have survived despite the passing of the centuries. They are more than 2,000 years old, like Barcelona itself.

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• 4
  Outside visit

  Barcelona's cathedral

  The Catedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulàlia was built over six centuries. Funded by donations from the medieval brotherhoods and guilds, the building work in Santa Creu commenced in 1298, on consecrated ground which was the former site of a 4th-century early-Christian basilica,

• 5
  Outside visit

  Pont del Bisbe

  One of the most photographed sights in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, thr 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 replaced by new Gothic style buildings.

• 6
  Outside visit

  Plaza de San Felipe Neri

  The romantic, slightly faded Plaça Sant Felip Neri is an unmissable corner of the Gothic Quarter. Presided over by the baroque church from which it takes its name, the square features a number of historic elements that make it particularly attractive, especially when you view it in silence.

• 7
  Outside visit

  La Casa de l'Ardiaca

  The Roman wall which adjoins Barcelona's Plaça Nova has a secret in store. On the other side, stands the entrance to the Casa de l'Ardiaca, or Archdeacon's House, which contains interesting archaeological remains. As you enter the Casa de l'Ardiaca's courtyard, you'll find a building which is a fusion of all eras and styles.

• 8
  Outside visit

  Call of Barcelona

  While Barcelona was never the largest Jewish center in Spain, it did play a large role in the history of Jews in Spain. Long before the expulsion of the Jews in 1492, Jewish culture flourished throughout the Iberian Peninsula. 4,000 Jews were living in Barcelona during the 13th century and many worked as doctors, scientists, scholars, merchants, or money lenders for the Catalonian aristocracy and crown. Medieval Barcelona was approximately 15% Jewish,

• 9
  Outside visit

  Capilla de Santa Lucía

  The oldest party of the Cathedral. A Romanesque jewel in the heart of The Gothic Quartier. Simple but beautiful, don't forget the fact that you are looking at the most ancient part of the stunning cathedral.

• 10
  Outside visit

  Palau Episcopal de Barcelona

  It has an interesting interior courtyard with Romanesque arches and Gothic windows. The building has a range of styles deriving from the various remodelling projects it has undergone. The oldest work dates from the late 12th and early 13th centuries

• 11
  Outside visit

  Nova Square

  Plaça Nova is the place where the old city was born : Barcino. These letters are sculptured in the square. Two Romanesque towers flank the door Del Bisbal. This square becomes a market with antique dealers every Thursday from 9h to 20h. Festivals and Sardanas are held here also.

• 12
  Outside visit

  College of Architects of Catalonia

  Opposite the Barcelona's Cathedral, you can find a great frieze made of sand. It was designed by Pablo Picasso and made by the Norwegian artist Carl Nesjar. Each of these 3 friezes that form the facade of the building, has a particular theme: the frieze of children; the frieze of the giants; frieze of the Catalan flag (the “senyera”).

• 13
  Outside visit

  Museu Frederic Marès

  It is housed the museum Museu Frederic Marès in a former palace of the Inquisition in the district Barri Gòtic, just behind the cathedral.

• 14
  Outside visit

  Palau del Lloctinent

  The Lloctinent Palace, located next to the Royal Palace, was built in the mid 16th century with a Rennaissance style. Its purpose was to be the residence of a lieutenant, who was the king’s representative in Catalonia. The door on the stairway is a 1975 Josep Maria Subirachs work portraying scenes from the life of Sant Jordi and the history of Catalonia.

• 15
  Outside visit

  Plaça del Rei

  Apart from 4,000 m2 of archaeological remains below the square, the monumental ensemble comprises the 11th-century Palau Comtal – the Count's Palace – later to become the Palau Reial Major – the residence of the kings of Catalonia and Aragon –, highlights of which include the Saló del Tinell, or Great Hall, and the 14th-century Chapel of Santa Àgata. The Watchtower of King Martí was added in the 16th century.

• 16
  Outside visit

  Royal Palace Major

  It was built about ten centuries ago. One of the buildings, Saló del Tinell, is a ceremonial area built by King Peter IV. It served as the royal reception hall and it is also where Catholic monarchs received Colombus after he returned from America. The interior was built between 1359 and 1570 in Gothic style. The Palatine Chapel of St. Agatha was built in 1302 by Jaume II the Just and it is dedicated to a popular Sicilian saint. It features an altarpiece of Constable Peter of Portugal.

• 17
  Outside visit

  Picasso Museum
• 18
  Outside visit

  Les Moreres Fossar

  The Fossar de les Moreres is a place of great symbolic significance where the weight of history takes centre stage. Here, right in the centre of the Born neighbourhood, was the site of the graveyard for the fallen during the 1714 Siege of Barcelona. A monument stands on the site as a reminder. The place sometimes goes unnoticed by visitors. For the Catalans, the fossar is more than a memory. It is a homage.

• 19
  Outside visit

  El Born

  El Born is one of Barcelona‘s trendiest and most popular neighborhoods. Home to some of the oldest buildings in the city, it is not only one of the most historic areas of Barcelona but also one of its liveliest.

• 20
  Outside visit

  Santa Maria del Mar

  The basilica of Santa Maria del Mar in Barcelona, also known as the "cathedral del mar”, is one of the most perfect examples of Gothic style architecture due to its harmonious proportions and the serenity of the ensemble.