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Església de Santa María del Mar
La Ribera’s flagship church of
Santa María del Mar
(daily 9am–1.30pm &
4.30–8pm; Sun choral Mass at 1pm;
o
Jaume I/Barceloneta) was begun on the
order of King Jaume II in 1324, and finished in only five years. Built on what
was the seashore in the fourteenth century, the church was at the heart of the
medieval city’s maritime and trading district, and it came to embody the
supremacy of the Crown of Aragon (of which Barcelona was capital) in
Mediterranean commerce. Built quickly, and therefore consistent in style, it’s an
exquisite example of Catalan-Gothic architecture, with a wide nave and high,
narrow aisles, and for all its restrained exterior decoration is still much dearer to
the heart of the average local than the cathedral, the only other church in the
city with which it compares.The Baroque trappings were destroyed during the
Civil War, which is probably all to the good, since the long-term restoration
work has concentrated on showing off the simple spaces of the interior; the
stained glass, especially, is beautiful.
To the south of the church is the modern brick-lined square known as
Fossar
de les Moreres
, which was formally opened in 1989 to mark the spot where,
following the defeat of Barcelona on September 11, 1714, Catalan martyrs
fighting for independence against the king of Spain, FelipeV, were executed. A
red steel scimitar with an eternal flame commemorates the fallen.
Passeig del Born
Fronting the eastern side of Santa María is the fashionable
Passeig del Born
,
once the site of medieval fairs and tournaments (“born” means tournament)
and now an avenue lined with a parade of plane trees shading a host of classy
bars, delis and shops. Cafés at the eastern end put out tables in front of the old
Mercat del Born
, which was built in 1876 and served as the city’s main
wholesale fruit and veg market until 1971. It was due to be demolished but
was saved by local protests, with the idea of turning it into a library. However,
during initial works it became apparent that the market stood directly on top
of the partial remains of the eighteenth-century city, dating from before the
huge works associated with the building of the nearby Ciutadella fortress and
the Barceloneta district.The massive rectangular cast-iron frame of the market
is still in place, now protecting the surviving metre-high walls of eighteenth-
century shops, factories, houses and taverns. Work is still ongoing, but the
current plan is to retain the extensive archeological remains within a cultural
and interpretation centre.
Boutiques and
craft workshops
hide in the narrow vaulted medieval alleys
on either side of the
passeig
– carrers Flassaders,Vidreria and Rec in particular
are noted for clothes, shoes, jewellery and design galleries. At night the Born
becomes one of Barcelona’s biggest bar zones as spirited locals frequent a
panoply of drinking haunts, from old-style cocktail lounges to thumping
music bars.
Parc de la Ciutadella and around
The Bourbons took no chances after the War of the Spanish Succession.
Barcelona had put up a spirited resistance, and to quell any further dissent
FelipeV ordered the building of a star-shaped citadel close to the water, on the
edge of the old town. A great part of La Ribera was destroyed, and a garrison,
parade ground and defensive walls were constructed over a twenty-year period
SANT PERE, LA RIBERA AND CIUTADELLA
|
Església de Santa María del
Mar • Passeig del
Born