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Gòtic Tour

A stroll through Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter brings to light the early Roman city of Barcino and the medieval town with its palazzos, mansions and Gothic churches. This is the style that defines “the heart of Barcelona”: a neighbourhood where the splendour of the historic past coexists with the vibrancy of the present. (map)

Behind the cathedral, at the centre of the Roman city, today’s Gothic Quarter, marked by the point where the two main roads, Cardus ( today Carrer del Bisbe ) and Decumanus ( Carrer Llibreteria ), converged, we can still see the remains of the Roman Temple of Augustus (1). In fact, the original centre of Roman and medieval Barcelona still forms the core of 21st-century Barcelona. Its maze of narrow streets and squares is steeped in the city’s past and present.

Going around the back of the cathedral we will stop next at the 14th century Cloister (2), famous for its geese.Turning left we can visit Sant Sever Church (3), the only one in the city’s few Baroque-era churches to remain completely intact. On our left we discover the peaceful Plaça Sant Felip Neri (4), a tiny square with a charming little fountain. Going back toward the center we will pass by The Palau Episcopal (5)
 which adjoins the cathedral on the west. The two round towers on the Portal del Bisbe date from Roman times and the inner courtyard, with its Romanesque arcades from the 14th century. On the other side, stands the entrance to the Casa de l’Ardiaca (6), or Archdeacon’s House, which contains interesting archaeological remains of the ancient Roman wall of Barcelona.The passage between these 2 buildings marks one the gates in the ancient wall and opens on Plaça Nova (7)  which was the site of the city’s hay market in the middle age.

Next on the right, on the Pla de la Seu, the Cathedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulàlia (8) reflects the different generations who have left their imprint and the blend of architectural styles in this predominantly Gothic building which needs to be viewed inside in order to fully understand its splendour. Adjacent to the Cathedral stands the Casa de la Pía Almoina  (9), with two sections, the Gothic one was built around 1435, and the Renaissance one added in 1546, currently holds the Diocesan Museum.The narrow street on the east side of the Cathedral leads to the Verger del Palau Reial (10), the garden of the former Royal Palace of the Counts of Barcelona. One building of this Palace now hosts the Museu Frederic Marès (11) which includes an extensive and valuable collection of art works and everyday objects from the 15th to 19th centuries. On the same street, the next building is the 16th-century Palau del Lloctinent (12), or Lieutenant’s Palace, which has a beautiful Renaissance courtyard and is currently home to the Archive of the Crown of Aragon. On the other side, this Palace, the Palau Reial and the 14th-century royal chapel of Santa Àgata form the Conjunct Monumental de la Plaça del Rei (13) which is, arguably, the Gothic architectural ensemble that best exemplifies the city’s medieval past. The royal palace, the Palau Reial Major, and its surrounding buildings, enclose a harmonious and peaceful square which is still imbued with Barcelona’s splendour during the Middle Ages. Below the square, you can visit the impressive archaeological remains of Roman Barcino.

Leaving la Plaça del Rei, we cross la Plaça Ramon Berenguer El Gran and head southeast toward la Plaça de l'Angel. To the right, just off the wide main street leading to the southeast, can be seen remains of the old town wall, on which stands the Palau de Requesens. We now turn right into la Carrer Llibreteria, one of the oldest street of Barcelona, turn left into la Carrer de la Dagueria and reach l'Eglesia Sants Just i Pastor (14), supposedly the oldest remaining church of the city. Following la Carrer d'Hercules, on the right side of the church, we reach now the City Hall (15)  and the seat of the Catalan Government, the Palau de la Generalitat, and the Plaça de Sant Jaume (16), right in the middle of this Barcelona neighbourhood, the end of this tour. Very near the Plaça de Sant Jaume, is the old Jewish Quarter, the Call Jueu, with its endless narrow streets, where some remains of the ancient synagogue still survive.

Temple of August

Address: Paradís, 10 (Centre Excursionista de Catalunya)
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Inside a small medieval courtyard, the four columns from the Temple of Augustus have survived despite the passing of the centuries. They are more than 2,000 years old, like Barcelona itself.
 Zealously guarded by a medieval building, four temple columns bear witness to the magnificent origins of Barcelona in the heart of the Gothic Quarter. Along with some fragments of the transept and its plinth, the columns are all that remains of the Temple of Augustus. You’ll find them at the end of Carrer Paradís, which is reported to take its name from a beautiful garden once located in the area around the temple in Barcelona.
Opposite number 10 on this street, a millstone marks the highest point of the Roman city, Mont Tàber, a hillock that stood just over 16 metres high. The uniform columns of the Temple of Augustus inside are 9 metres tall and comprise an imposing relic of one of the temples from Barcelona’s Forum which stood on a corner site at the rear. The temple was built in the 1st century BC and, it was dedicated to the worship of Emperor Augustus. It was 37 metres long and 17 metres wide, and the front contained six columns (hexastyle temple). The columns surrounded the entire building, which had a single nave inside. The temple was reconstructed by the architect Puig i Cadafalch in the early 20th century.

NEXT : the 14th century Cloister (2), famous for its 13 geese.

Cloister of the cathedral

The cathedral is famous for its 14th century cloister, with a central courtyard surrounded by a marvellous Gothic portico. There are always 13 geese in the courtyard. Each goose represents one year in the life of the martyr Santa Eulalia, a young girl alledgedly tortured to death in the 4th century by the Romans for her religion.  MAP IT

Next : Sant Sever Church (3), the only one in the city’s few Baroque-era churches to remain completely intact. 
Previous : the remains of the Roman Temple of Augustus (1).

Sant Sever church

Address: Sant Sever, 9-11, Barri Gotic, Cuitat Vella.
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The Church of Saint Severus of Barcelona is located close to the Episcopal Palace and the Cathedral cloister. It houses the shrine of St. Severus, who was Bishop of Barcelona from 290 to 304 A.D. St. Severus was martyred during the persecutions of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. 


The present structure was built between 1698 and 1705 in a high baroque style. It has a single nave, a polygonal apse, and lateral side chapels. Unlike most of the churches in Barcelona, it was not burned by the Leftists during the Spanish Civil War. As a result, its Baroque interior was the only one in the city’s few Baroque-era churches to remain completely intact.

Next : the peaceful Plaça Sant Felip Neri (4), a tiny square with a charming little fountain.  
Previous : the 14th century Cloister (2), famous for its geese. 

Plaça Sant Felip Neri

Location : Barri Gotic, Ciutat Vella. MAP IT

The romantic, slightly faded Plaça Sant Felip Neri is an unmissable corner of the Gothic Quarter. Presided over by the baroque church from which it takes its name, the square features a number of historic elements that make it particularly attractive, especially if you view it in silence


The narrow, labyrinthine streets of the Gothic Quarter come out into this unexpected spot. A tiny square with a charming little fountain in the middle and overlooked by the baroque church of Sant Felip Neri. On one side, you can see the buildings that once housed the city’s shoemakers’ and coppersmiths’ guilds, which moved here from their premises on Carrer de la Bòria and Carrer de la Corribia, respectively. The shoemakers’ guild building is now home to the city’s footwear museum and bears a relief in the shape of a lion. It represents Saint Mark, the patron saint of shoemakers. Next to the church, the school of Sant Felip Neri still survives. When the schoolchildren aren’t playing in the square and you listen to the silence, you can almost hear the sound of the bombs that fell from the sky one fateful January in 1938. You can still see the wounds etched into the façade of the church and they still seem to hurt. A plaque reminds us of the fact that a bombing raid by fascist planes ended the lives of 42 people, many of them children who had sought refuge in the air-raid shelter below the church. Now, the children play in the shade of the acacias, unaware of this tragic past, in this square that marks the entrance to Barcelona’s Jewish Quarter.

Next : The Palau Episcopal (5) which adjoins the cathedral on the west. 
Previous : Sant Sever Church (3), the only one in the city’s few Baroque-era churches to remain completely intact.

Palau Episcopal

The Palau Episcopal in the Barri Gòtic adjoins the cathedral on the west. It was first recorded as long ago as 926; the oldest parts of the present building date from the 12th, 13th and 15th C. Renovation work was carried out in 1883 and again in 1928. The two round towers on the Portal del Bisbe date from Roman times. The inner courtyard, with its Romanesque arcades, contains a modern statue of Our Lady from the Montserrat.

Location Barri Gotic, Ciutat Vella. MAP IT 

Next : the Casa de l’Ardiaca (6), or Archdeacon’s House, which contains interesting remains of the ancient Roman wall.
Previous : the peaceful Plaça Sant Felip Neri (4), a tiny square with a charming little fountain. 

Casa de l’Ardiaca

Address: Santa Llúcia, 1, Barri Gothic, Ciutat Vella. MAP IT

The Roman wall which adjoins Barcelona’s Plaça Nova has a secret in store. On the other side, stands the entrance to the Casa de l’Ardiaca, or Archdeacon’s House, which contains interesting archaeological remains. As you enter the Casa de l’Ardiaca’s courtyard, you’ll find a building which is a fusion of all eras and styles.

The Casa de l’Ardiaca, the residence of the ecclesiastical hierarchy from the 12th century onwards, has undergone many alterations over the years, such as the ones carried out in the early 16th century which connected the building with the dean’s residence. This was also the period when the porticoed central courtyard was built and the Renaissance-style decorations, which tie in with the flamboyant Gothic style of the original building, completed. A staircase leads to the upper terrace, a balcony in the purest Romeo and Juliet style. At the back of the Casa de l’Ardiaca is a wall underpinning part of the ancient Roman wall of Barcelona. One side of this wall is attached to a section of a replica of the aqueduct which stood at the gateway to the city.

The other surprise is to be found outside, on the main façade. In 1895, the Lawyers’ Association, the Col•legi d’Advocats, set up its premises in the building and commissioned the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner to design a letter box. The modernista elements which it is composed of are deeply symbolic: the three swallows guarantee the freedom of justice, whereas bureaucratic procedures, symbolised by the tortoise, represent the obstacles that hinder legal matters. The Casa de l’Ardiaca has been the home of Barcelona’s Municipal Archive since 1921.

Next : Plaça Nova (7)  which was the site of the city’s hay market in the middle age.
Previous :  The Palau Episcopal (5) which adjoins the cathedral on the west.

Sources : barcelona turisme

Plaça Nova

A small area crammed with elements that recount the history of Barcelona and its art. A visit to the Plaça Nova brings you face to face with the monumental gateway in the wall of the Roman city of Barcelona, but you’ll also discover art, dotted here and there.

The origins of Barcelona’s Plaça Nova can be traced back to 1358, when it was the site of the city’s hay market. At the time, the locals could still see one of the four gates in the wall to the Roman city, which led to the Forum, along the Cardus. Two circular towers flank the gate that leads into the heart of the Gothic Quarter. These are the result of renovations carried out during the 12th century, although the origins of the defence towers and wall can be traced back as far as the 1st century BC and the 4th century AD. A replica of a section of the Roman aqueduct emerges from the side of the Archdeacon’s House, or Casa de l’Ardiaca, marking one of the points where water was conveyed to the city. Opposite, a visual poem by the Catalan artist Joan Brossa, spells out the word Barcino.

If you look across to the other side of the Plaça Nova, you’ll see the building of the Architects’ Association, the Col·legi d’Arquitectes de Barcelona. The most striking element is the series of sand-cast friezes around the façade, designed by Pablo Picasso and produced by the Norwegian Carl Nesjar: the "children’s frieze", on the façade overlooking Carrer dels Arcs, the "giants’ frieze", on the façade in the Plaça Nova, and the "frieze of the Catalan flag”, on the façade overlooking Carrer Capellans.
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Next : on the Pla de la Seu, the Cathedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulàlia (8) 
Previous :  the Casa de l’Ardiaca (6), or Archdeacon’s House, which contains remains of the ancient Roman wall

The Cathedral

The Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia (Catalan: Catedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulàlia), also known as Barcelona Cathedral, is the Gothic cathedral and seat of the Archbishop of Barcelona. The cathedral was constructed throughout the 13th to 15th centuries, with the principal work done in the 14th century. The cloister, which encloses the Well of the Geese (Font de les Oques) was completed about 1450. The façade was constructed over the nondescript exterior that was common to Catalan churches in the 19th century. The roof is notable for its gargoyles, featuring a wide range of animals, both domestic and mythical.

The cathedral was constructed over thecrypt of a former Visigothic chapel, dedicated to Saint James, which was the proprietary church of the Viscounts of Barcelona, one of whom, Mir Geribert, sold the site to Bishop Guislebert in 1058. Its site faced the Roman forum of Barcelona.

It is a hall church, vaulted over five aisles, the outer two divided into chapels. The transept is truncated. The east end is a chevet of nine radiating chapels connected by an ambulatory. The high altar is raised, allowing a clear view into the crypt.

View of the cathedral interior

The cathedral is dedicated to Eulalia of Barcelona, co-patron saint of Barcelona, a young virgin who, according to Catholic tradition, suffered martyrdom during Roman times in the city. One story says that she was exposed naked in the public square and a miraculous snowfall in mid-spring covered her nudity. The enraged Romans put her into a barrel with knives stuck into it and rolled it down a street (according to tradition, the one now called Baixada de Santa Eulàlia). The body of Saint Eulalia is entombed in the cathedral's crypt.

The choir stalls retain the coats-of-arms of the knights of the Order of the Golden Fleece. In his first trip into Spain, Charles, the future Roman Emperor, selected Barcelona as the site of a chapter of his Order. The city, as a Mediterranean port, offered the closest communication with other far-flung Habsburg dominions, while the large proportions of the cathedral would accommodate required grand ceremonies. In 1518 the Order's herald, Thomas Isaac, and its treasurer, Jean Micault, were commissioned to prepare the sanctuary for the first sitting of the chapter in 1519. Juan de Borgonya executed the painted decoration of the sanctuary.

The Crist de Lepant

One side chapel is dedicated to "Christ of Lepanto", and contains a cross from a ship that fought at the Battle of Lepanto (1571). Catalan legend states that during the battle, the corpus suddenly and miraculously shifted to the right to avoid being hit by a cannonball, a miraculous sign from God that the Ottomans would be defeated.

The cathedral has a secluded Gothic cloister where 13 white geese are kept, the number explained by the assertion that Eulalia was 13 when she was martyred.

Next : Adjacent to the Cathedral stands the Casa de la Pía Almoina  (9),
Previous : Plaça Nova (7), the city’s hay market in the middle age. 

Source : Wikipedia

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Casa de la Pia Almoina

It has two different areas: one Gothic and the other Renaissance. It houses the Diocesan Museum. The first mention of Casa de la Pía Almoina is in 955AD, when it was built as a residence for canons of the Order of St. Augustine. It was demolished in 1400 and rebuilt a few years later as a charitable foundation on the same site. It has two sections: the Gothic one was built around 1435, and the Renaissance one was added in 1546. It currently holds the Diocesan Museum with interesting Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque items belonging to the church. It was last redesigned in 1989.

3D model

Address: Av. de la Catedral 4, Barri Gòtic,
Museu Diocesa de Barcelona :   MAP IT 

Next :  the Verger del Palau Reial (10).
Previous : the Cathedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulàlia (8) 

Source : Fodor
Sketchup

Verger del Palau Reial

Garden of the former Royal Palace of the counts of Barcelona, currently houses the Museu Frederic Mares.

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The way to the Frederic Mares Museum from the small square (Plaça Sant Iu Nº 5-6) on the street Comtes de Barcelona, at the side of the Cathedral, gives free entrance to a courtyard that was in medieval times the old orchard of the Main Royal Palace (Palau Reial Major), house of the Counts of Barcelona and from where the monarchs of the Catalan-Aragonese crown ruled the kingdom during the medieval period. The place with orange trees, plants, some benches and a fountain on the centre surrounded by the medieval buildings from the Palau Reial Major is suspended on the time. Quite and peaceful is the perfect place to relax and dream on Catalan stories from the medieval times. During summer months there is also a coffee place (Café d’Estiu or Summertime coffee) on the courtyard.

Next :  the Museu Frederic Marès (11)
Previous : the Casa de la Pía Almoina  (9) 

Museu Frederic Marès

The Museu Frederic Marès is located in the heart of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, in part of the former royal palace which was once home to the Counts of Barcelona. The museum includes an extensive and valuable collection of art works and objects which Frederic Marès collected throughout his life.
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The collection is divided into two main sections: the sculpture collection and a collection of everyday objects and collectors’ items, called the Gabinet del Coleccionista.
The sculpture collection features works of art from around Spain spanning the pre-Roman period to the 19th century, and includes important exhibits from the Middle Ages and polychrome religious carvings.

Spanish sculptures from the Renaissance and baroque periods are also widely represented and there are examples of works from the main Spanish schools of sculpture, from the medieval period to modern times.

The Gabinet del Colleccionista showcases a series of handcrafted objects that bear witness to the everyday lives of our ancestors from the 15th to 19th centuries and is divided into three galleries.
 


The Sala Femenina is one of the galleries that best represents the museum Frederic Marès’s collection and bears witness to women’s lives during the romantic era. It contains a collection of fans, combs, jewellery, clothing and other fashion accessories.
The Sala de les Diversions, features toy theatres, automata, toys and retains all the charm and evocative power of the entertainments of yore.
The Sala del Fumador  features a wide variety of pipes, an item that attained great levels of sophistication in terms of the quality of its materials and unusual shapes.

Next : the 16th-century Palau del Lloctinent (12), or Lieutenant’s Palace, which has a beautiful Renaissance courtyard.
Previous :  the Verger del Palau Reial (10), the garden of the former Royal Palace of the Counts of Barcelona.

 

Palau del Lloctinent

Adresse : Carrer dels Comtes de Barcelona, 2, Barri Gòtic,  MAP IT
 
The three facades of this fine building face the Carrer dels Comtes de Barcelona on the cathedral side, the Baixada de Santa Clara, and the Plaça del Rei. 

Typical of late Gothic-early Renaissance Catalan design, it was constructed by Antoni Carbonell in 1557, and remains one of the Gothic Quarter's most graceful buildings. 

The heavy stone arches over the entry, the central patio, and the intricately coffered wooden roof over the stairs are all good examples of noble 16th-century architecture. 

The door on the stairway is a 1975 Josep Maria Subirachs work portraying scenes from the life of Sant Jordi and the history of Catalonia. 

The Palau del Lloctinent was inhabited by the king's official emissary or viceroy to Barcelona during the 16th and 17th centuries, and now offers an excellent exhibit on the life and times of Jaume I, Catalonia's most important founding father.

The patio occasionally hosts early music concerts, and during the Corpus Christi celebration is one of the main venues for the ou com balla, when an egg "dances" on the fountain amid an elaborate floral display.

Next : la Plaça del Rei (13) the Gothic architectural ensemble that best exemplifies the city’s medieval past. 
Previous : the Museu Frederic Marès (11).

Plaça del Rei

Plaça del Rei (King's Square), located in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona, is bordered by a number of historic buildings that were once part of the Palau Reial Major, the residence of the Counts of Barcelona.  MAP IT

A Place in History : Plaça del Rei is known for its link to Christopher Columbus. It is widely believed that it was on the steps fanning out from the corner of the square that King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella greeted Columbus when he arrived home from his first voyage to the New World. Some dispute the story, noting that the royal couple was probably at their summer residence when the explorer returned, but most locals stick to this story when chatting with visitors as to the area's historic significance.

Historic Architecture : Many visitors, however, head to this interesting area of Barcelona to enjoy the unique architecture of the Palau Reial Major that surround the plaza. The palace was home to the counts of Barcelona and kings of Aragon who reigned during the Middle Ages. Originally built as a Romanesque fortress leaning against the Roman Walls, the palace was later expanded with Gothic additions.

The palace's main attraction is the Salo del Tinell, a magnificent grand hall that was added in the mid-14th century and is now used for temporary exhibitions of the Museu d'Història de la Ciutat, the city history museum.

To the left of the Tinell Hall is the King Martin's Watchtower (Torre Mirador del Rei Martí). Built in the 15th century as a lookout tower, it looms over visitors who are busily exploring the Plaça del Rei.


To the right of the Tinell Hall is the 14th century Royal Chapel of St. Agatha which boasts a unique octagonal bell tower shaped like a crown and is home to one of the finest examples of Catalan Gothic art, the 15th century painting by Jaume Huguet entitled Epiphany. Don't forget to take a look at the dazzling polychrome ceiling.


Opposite the chapel is the Palau del Lloctinent, a 16th century Gothic structure that was home to the viceroy or lieutenant of the Catalan Parliament. Its beautiful courtyard is publicly accessible.

City History Museum : Lastly, visitors to the Plaça del Rei and the Gothic Quarter should make a stop at the Museu d'Història de la Ciutat (City History Museum), where visitors can learn about 2,000 years of Barcelona history. Incidentally, the entrance to the museum - near the southeast side of the square - is the Palau Clariana-Padellàs, moved to this spot stone by stone from Carrer del Mercaders in 1931. During the excavation at this site the remains of a complex of ruins of Barcino - Roman Barcelona - were uncovered. The ruins are now part of the museum, which also gives access to the St. Agatha Chapel and the Tinell Hall.

Next : l'Eglesia Sants Just i Pastor (14), supposedly the oldest remaining church of the city.
Previous : the 16th-century Palau del Lloctinent (12)  

Eglesia sants just i pastor

 
Tradition has it that this is Barcelona’s oldest church. Whether this is true or not, it is clear that this 14th-century building stands in one of the Gothic Quarter’s most charming and least explored spots. Another example of the splendour of the city in the medieval era.  MAP IT

In 801, King Louis the Pious spearheaded the reconstruction of Barcelona after the Frankish reconquest. This is when a church dedicated to the saints Just and Pastor was founded in the heart of the city. Nothing remains of that Romanesque church and a Gothic-style building dating from 1342 stands in its place. Tucked away in a corner of the captivating little square, the Placeta de Sant Just, in the centre of the Palau district, which was the place where the nobility lived at the time, the building is surprisingly austere.

On one side, the 15th-century octagonal tower lends height to the ensemble. The façade, which was restored in the neo-Gothic style, leads into a peaceful and charming interior. It is perhaps the simplicity of the structure, comprising a single nave and polygonal apse, that explains the beauty of this church. It is closed off by a cross vault featuring keystones depicting the life of the Virgin. The chapel of Sant Feliu i la Santa Creu contains a 16th-century altarpiece depicting the Passion, which competes with the 19th-century, neoclassical main altarpiece. The stained glass in the upper windows bathes the interior of the church with colour. Outside in the square there is a final surprise is in store: the Fivaller fountain, which is also Gothic in style.

Next : the City Hall (15)
Previous : la Plaça del Rei (13)