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Picasso himself refused to come to Spain to oversee the work, unwilling to
return to his home country while Franco was still in power.
Plaça del Rei and around
The most concentrated batch of historic monuments in the Barri Gòtic is the
grouping around
Plaça del Rei
(Perfect Squares), behind the cathedral apse.
The square was once the palace courtyard of Barcelona’s counts, and also houses
a stone staircase leading to the great fourteenth-century
Saló del Tinell
, the
palace’s main hall. It was on the steps leading from the Saló del Tinell into the
Plaça del Rei that Ferdinand and Isabel stood to receive Christopher Columbus
on his triumphant return from his famous voyage of 1492.With the old town
streets packed, Columbus advanced in procession with the monarchs to the
palace, where he presented the queen with booty from the trip – exotic birds,
sweet potatoes and six Indians (actually Haitians, taken on board during
Columbus’ return).The hall itself is a fine example of secular Gothic architec-
ture, with interior arches spanning 17m. At one time the Spanish Inquisition
met here, taking full advantage of the popular belief that the walls would move
if a lie was spoken. Nowadays it hosts temporary exhibitions, while concerts are
occasionally held in the hall or outside in the square.The palace buildings also
include the beautiful fourteenth-century
Capella de Santa Agata
, with its tall
A walk around the Roman walls
The Barri Gòtic was once entirely enclosed by
Roman walls and towers
, dating from
the fourth century AD, though they were largely pulled down in the nineteenth century
to create more space for the expanding city. Parts of Roman Barcelona still exist,
however, easily seen on an hour-long stroll – the city council has posted brown infor-
mation boards showing the route at various points.
Outside the cathedral, in Plaça Nova, block metal letters a metre high spell out the
word “Barcino” (the name of the Roman city), underneath a restored tower and a
reconstructed part of the Roman
aqueduct
. There’s more of the aqueduct on display
north of here on c/Duran i Bas (set into the facade of a building), while over on
Plaça
Vila de Madrid
is a line of sunken Roman tombs. The line of the wall itself runs past
the cathedral and Museu Diocesà, with the next surviving section visible at
Plaça
Ramon Berenguer El Gran
(at Via Laietana). Some of the walls and towers here are
over 13m high, and back onto the chapel of Santa Agata on Plaça del Rei. There’s
more wall to see down
c/Sots-Tinent Navarro
, while the most romantic section is
the truncated Roman tower in the sunken
Plaça dels Traginers
, planted with palms
and a solitary olive tree. Along nearby
c/Correu Vell
part of the wall and defence
towers were incorporated into a medieval palace – you can see this section in the
courtyard of a civic centre (through a gate, opposite c/Groch).
A right turn after here, up c/Regomir, leads to the
Centre Civic Pati Llimona
(usually Mon–Fri 9am–2pm & 4.30–8pm, Sat 10am–2pm & 4–8pm), where lie the
remains of one of the original gates through the Roman wall into inner Barcino. This
and other remains are visible through a glass window from c/Regomir, and if the
centre is open you’ll be able to go inside for a closer look. Then head up c/Ciutat and
cross Plaça de Sant Jaume for c/Paradis, where four impressive
Roman columns
(“columnes Romanes”) and the architrave of a temple are preserved in the interior
courtyard of the Centre Excursionista de Catalunya (c/Paradís 10; usually open
Tues–Sat 10am–2pm & 4–8pm, Sun 10am–3pm, though may vary). From here you’re
just a short walk from the cathedral again, though no Roman enthusiast should miss
the nearby Museu d’Historià de la Ciutat, which features the underground excava-
tions of Barcino itself.
BARRI GÒTIC
|
Plaça del
Rei
and around