We started in a medieval neighborhood known as "El Born". Between the 13th and 15th centuries it was the home of wealthy merchants. Today it is a trendy area filled with bars, restaurants and fashionable shops. However, along its narrow streets, you can still imagine what it looked like in the Middle Ages.
The most important medieval landmark of "El Born" is the Gothic church of Santa María del Mar (St. Mary of the Sea). The church was built between 1329 and 1383 when Barcelona was at the height of its maritime power. The church was at that time located by the waterfront, and was the church of the sailors and merchants. Its purity of style makes it one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in Spain.
yA short walk from "El Born" is the "Parque de la Ciudadela" (Park of the Citadel). The park is built on the site of a much hated fortress. In the War of the Spanish Succession, Barcelona backed the losing claimant to the throne. King Felipe V punished the rebellious city by building a huge military garrison to maintain royal control over Barcelona. The fact that hundreds of homes were razed to build the fort, and that special taxes were levied to pay for its construction, made the "Cuidadela" even more unpopular. In the 19th century the fort was torn down, and eventually the land was given to the city. It became Barcelona's first public park. In 1888 Barcelona used the park as the site for a Universal Exposition. (It was the first of two World's Fairs that the city would host; the second was held in 1929.)
The highlight of the park is the "Cascada", an ornate fountain that was built for the fair. The fountain was designed by Josep Fontsere. Since the young Antoni Gaudi was at that time employed by Fontsere, Gaudi may have had a hand in its construction.
The "Arc de Triomf", built as the main entry to the World's Fair, still stands as a Barcelona landmark.
It wasn't til I read The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett about the church builders of those early times, that I could understand HOW such a magnificent structure could be built without machinery.
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, they still build the churchs in Mexico in the countryside the same way!
You might be interested in reading a novel by a Spanish author (whose name I forget) called "Cathedral of the Sea". It is available in English translation, and deals with the construction of Santa Maria del Mar... the church I mentioned in this post. It was a best seller in Spain. You might say that it's Spain's answer to "Pillars of the Earth".
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