History Of Barcelona - Gothic Quarters

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By:Anil Gupta

The Barcelona Barri Gotic area is also known as the Gothic Quarter and is the area in which the old town of Barcelona is located. The streets of the Barri Gotic vary considerably in style but the old quarter is generally portrayed by narrow cobbled streets with tall old buildings. It has its very own famous personalities - Picasso lived and worked in Barri Gotic from 1895 to 1904 and Joan Miró was born and lived here during his youth.

The Barri Gotic covers a similar area to that of the old Roman colony of Barcino. It is the oldest part of the city and although its buildings and monuments date from various periods, mixed in with that which is truly Gothic. As compared to other major European cities Barri Gotic city zone is still surprisingly intact, and to quite a large extent unchanged by modern times.

The centre of Barcelona’s Gothic quarter must be Plaza Sant Jaume, which houses the Palace of the Generalitat which is home of the government of the autonomous community of Catalonia, and the Ajuntament in other words city hall. Several other picturesque squares dot the area, including Plaza Reial, Plaza del Rei, Plaza Nova, and Plaza Catalunya. Around them are seated many urban palaces, museums, churches, the cathedral, & much more.

Barcelona’s Gothic quarter is a fascinating and rewarding place to explore. The Barri Gòtic is the centre of Barcelona, where the city originated, and where the main public buildings are located. It is a labyrinth of interconnecting dark streets connecting with squares, and there are plenty of cafes and bars, as well as the cheapest accommodation in town. Most of the buildings are from the 14th and 15th century, when Barcelona was at the height of its commercial prosperity and before it had been absorbed into Castile. Around the Cathedral, one of Spain’s greatest Gothic buildings, one can still see part of the ancient walls incorporated into later structures. The quarter is centered on the Plaça de Sant Jaume, a spacious square, the site of a busy market and one of the venues for the weekly dancing of the sardana. Two of the city’s most significant buildings are here, the Ajuntament and the Palau de la Generalitat.

The Gothic Quarter is the heart of old Barcelona, a medieval city built upon Roman foundations This historic hotchpotch of narrow and, in many cases, pedestrians streets and squares is full of character and charm and home to hundreds of shops, bars and restaurants. The gothic quarter is located between Barcelona’s famous boulevard Las Ramblas and Via Laietana, with Plaza Catalunya at the top and the port at the bottom.Portal de L'Angel, a modern pedestrians shopping street which starts in Plaza Catalunya, leads to the traffic-free square dominated by the Cathedral and to the Roman walls that once enclosed the city. From here all of the major attractions are easily accessible, including the Roman remains beneath the City History Museum.On the south side of the Gothic Quarter is the Plaza Real, a palm-lined square just off Las Ramblas whose bars and restaurants around each side are a relaxing place to stop and watch life during the day and at night when the square becomes a hive of activity.

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