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Barri Gòtic
T
he
Barri Gòtic
, or Gothic Quarter (
o
Jaume I), forms the very heart of the
old town, spreading out from the east side of the Ramblas.Within lies a
remarkable concentration of beautiful medieval buildings dating principally
from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, when Barcelona reached the
height of her commercial prosperity before being absorbed into the burgeoning
kingdom of Castile. It will take the best part of a day to see everything here, with
the cathedral –
La Seu
– a particular highlight, and you certainly won’t want to
miss the archeological remains at the
Museu d’Història de la Ciutat
or the
unclassifiable collections of the
Museu Frederic Marès
.There are also plenty of
other quirks and diversions, from exploring the old Jewish quarter to touring the
grand salons of City Hall. That said, sauntering through the medieval alleys,
shopping for antiques or gifts, following the remains of the Roman walls, or simply
sitting at a café table in one of the lovely squares is just as much an attraction.
The picture-postcard images of the Barri Gòtic are largely based on the streets
north of c/de Ferran and c/de Jaume I, where tourists throng the boutiques,
bars, restaurants, museums and galleries. South of here – from Plaça Reial and
c/d’Avinyo to the harbour – the Barri Gòtic is rather less gentrified (or
sometimes just plain run-down).There are no specific sights or museums in this
section, though there are plenty of great shops, cafés, tapas bars and restaurants
– just take care at night in the poorly lit streets.
La Seu
Barcelona’s cathedral,
La Seu
(daily 8am–12.45pm & 5.15–7.30pm, cathedral and
cloister free; otherwise 1–5pm, (€5), includes entrance to all sections;
W
www.
catedralbcn.org), is one of the great Gothic buildings of Spain. Located on a site
previously occupied by a Roman temple and then an early Christian basilica, it
was begun in 1298 and finished in 1448, save for the neo-Gothic principal facade,
which was completed in the 1880s (and is currently obscured by scaffolding).The
cathedral is dedicated to the city’s second patroness,
Santa Eulàlia
(known as
Laia in Barcelona), a young girl brutally martyred by the Romans in 304 AD for
daring to prefer Christianity.Her remains were first placed in the original portside
church of Santa María del Mar in La Ribera, which explains why she’s also patron
saint of local sailors and seafarers. In 874 Laia was re-interred in the cathedral and
her ornate alabaster tomb rests in a crypt beneath the high altar.Among the finest
of the carved and painted tombs of the 29
side-chapels
are those reputedly
belonging to Ramon Berenguer I (Count of Barcelona from 1035 to 1076) and
his wife Almodis; however, the tombs actually hold the remains of an earlier count
and Petronila, the Aragonese princess whose betrothal to Ramon Berenguer IV
united Aragon and Barcelona.
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BARRI GÒTIC
|
La Seu