Barcelona and an Introduction to Modernisme Architecture

Tuesday, June 12 – Day 15 (Barcelona)

Barcelona is Spain’s second city and the capital of the proud and distinct (they even have their own language) Catalunya region. We began our adventures here at the Plaça de Catalunya…

This enormous square is the heart of the city and marks the divide between historic and modern Barcelona. From here the long pedestrian boulevard, Las Ramblas, shoots southeast to the harbor front. This one time creek bed is lined with street artists, news kiosks, and vendors.

The black and gold Fountain of Canaletes sits at the top of Las Ramblas and is the starting point for many celebrations and demonstrations. Legend says that a drink from the fountain ensures that you’ll return to Barcelona one day. Here Rich takes a sip…

Our next stop is the Mercat de la Boquería, a massive fresh market with a modernist entryway (more on the modernist movement later)…

Plaça Reial, an elegant square with our first introduction to the work of Antoni Gaudí and his first public works (two colorful helmeted lampposts)…

Along the Las Ramblas, Rich encourages me to “stop and smell the roses” at one of the flower stalls...

Our tour of the Las Ramblas ends where the street ends, at the Monument a Colóm, a statute of Columbus atop a tall pedestal…

This monument, built in 1888 on the occasion of the Universal Exhibition, commemorates the discovery of America. It was here in Barcelona that Ferdinand and Isabel welcomed Columbus home after his first trip to America…

The next self guided walking tours begins in the Barri Gòtic, or Gothic quarter. This is the heart of the medieval part of Barcelona which until the mid 19th Century, was contained within the city walls. A walk through its maze of streets brings us to the Cathedral - Catedral de Barcelona - the origins of which date back to the 13th century…

Nearby, this bold tower is part of what remains of the old Roman wall that protected a small city called Barcino (Barcelona in ancient times)…

The big stones at the base of these towers are actually Roman, and the wall extends left into the old Palau Episcopal (Bishop’s Palace). Today this is the city archives and offers an up close view of the Roman stones (from the otherside).

Wednesday, June 13 – Day 16 (Barcelona)

At the end of Las Ramblas stands the Monument a Colóm, a statute of Columbus atop a tall pedestal. An extremely small elevator will take you up 60 meters to the top for a panoramic views of the city…

After the elevator view, we boarded a boat at the Portal de la Pau and sailed round the Port Vell and Barcelona harbor and then out to sea along 18 miles of the city’s coastline. Here is Rich enjoying the seaside (yes, that is him with the gray beard and gray hat)…

The harbor cruise went out past the Olympia Harbor home to the Olympic Village in 1992. In the distance, you can see the titanium fish (yes, designed by Frank Gehry) atop the area that housed more than 13,000 athletes that summer…

Today, the area has been turned into apartment complexes.

Next stop, the Museu Picasso…

The palaces called home by some of Barcelona’s wealthy merchants have been converted into the Museu Picasso. Although no pictures were aloud inside the museum, Rich and I managed to sneak this photo op at the top of the outside staircase in one of the many converted palaces…

This is touted as the best collection in the country of the work of Spaniard Pablo Picasso (1881-1973). The museum houses more than 3000 Picassos including much of his early work (since he spent his formative years from age 14 to 21 in Barcelona). The highlights included work from Picasso’s Blue Period, as well as a series of studies based on Velázquez’ Las Meninas (which we saw in Madrid’s Prado – see Day 10).

After a long day, we set out in search of paella and found a fantastic fresh pan at the top of Las Ramblas right at the Plaça de Catalunya. Here, Rich makes me pose with the shrimp heads…

Thursday, June 14 – Day 17 (Barcelona)

Modernisme, an architectural and cultural movement loosely defined as the Catalan version of Art Nouveau, transformed Barcelona’s cityscape in the early 20th century.

The artistic movement found one of its greatest means of expression in architecture; and Moderisme’s most famous architect was the eccentric Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926), a devout Catholic whose work is full of references to nature and Christianity.

Rich and I primarily dedicated this day to exploring Gaudí’s many Barcelona works. We began the day at the El Centre d’Interpretació del Park Güell and the Park Güell. The interpretation center, located at the entrance to the park, is an information and welcoming point for visitors. Here Rich poses with the interpretation center in the background…

The center gave us an opportunity to see the inside of the porter’s lodge and an exhibition showing the plans, models, photographs and plants that comprised original park project.

The park was designed to be a self-contained planned community with houses, schools, and shops. Unfortunately, the project was a flop, but today we are left with a Dr. Suess playground brought to life through colorful mosaics and Gaudí designed paths and plazas. Here Rich poses on the grand staircase… which leads to the Hypostyle Hall and eventually the square. Ergonomically correct benches line the outer wall of the square…

and the square itself offers great views of the park…

Next, we ventured to Casa Museu Gaudí, seen here…

Antoni Gaudi lived in this house from 1906 to 1926. The house maintains the structure of when Gaudí lived in it. The museum is a collection of the architect’s personal work and memorabilia – furniture, projects, and drawings.

After the Casa Museu Gaudí, we visited the Lover’s Viaduct…

and appreciated the view of Barcelona from this height…

After the Park Güell, we headed back to the city. The largest number of Modernisme buildings can be found an area of the Eixample neighborhood known as the Quadrat d’Or (Golden Square). This area is ripe with Modernisme work including this lamppost (one of many which line the Passig de Gracia)…

Like an open air museum, the Quadrat d’Or includes works by Antoni Gaudí, Domènech i Montaner and Puig i Cadafalch, among others. Over the years, this block has been nicknamed by locals as the Manzana de Dicordia (the Block of Discord), because the structures look as though they are trying to outdo each other in creative twists…

Four blocks up the street from the Block of Discord is the Casa Milà “La Pedrera” (meaning the stone quarry because people of the city thought the façade appeared to be carved out of rock). Here we caught Rich with building from across the street…

This structure built between 1906 and 1912 is the last residential building designed by Gaudi. The attic and rooftop houses the Espai Gaudi, a space providing an introduction to the art and techniques of the architect. Notice how these chimneys dance across the horizon (oh, yeah, and you can see Rich peaking out from behind one of them)…

Here we also visited the Pedera Apartment, a full scale recreation of the home of a Barcelona family at the begging of the twentieth century. Amazing!

Our final destination in Barcelona - the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Famili (Attonement Temple of the Sacred Family). Construction on this site began in 1882. One year later, Antoni Gaudí was named project director. He worked on the project over forty years until he was run over by a street car and died in 1926.

Today (81 years later), the temple remains unfinished (and is expected to take at least 50 more years to complete)…

Eight of the twelve 100 meter bell towers dedicated to the Apostles have been built, and two of the three façade (Façade of the Nativity and Façade of Passion, shown here…)

are complete. The façade remaining incomplete is the most elaborate – the Façade of Glory. This main entrance will include four taller belfries dedicated to the four Evangelists - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the 125 meter Tower of the Virgin Mary, and the grand 170 meter central dome in honor of Jesus. Eighteen spires in total!

At the time of Gaudí’s death, only the Façade of the Nativity was essentially complete. Mixing Gothic-style symbolism, images from nature, and Modernisme asymmetry, it is the best example of what is called Gaudí’s “cake-in-the-rain style.” The sculpture of the Façade of the Nativity shows scenes from the birth and childhood of Jesus in a style like none you’ve ever seen!..