Barcelona
 

Different variants

Sagrada Familia:

Of all the architectural masterpieces in Barcelona and in Catalonia, the Sagrada Familia is undoubtedly the one with the most important symbolic value. It is the symbol of the modernist architecture of Barcelona and the most influential work by Gaudí.

The Temple was originally a private initiative, that of Josep Maria Bocadella, who chaired the Associació Espiritual de Devots de Sant Josep. Work began in 1882 under the direction of Francesc de Paula Villar, who intended to give the work a neogothic style, in fashion at that time. However, the differences between the architect and the municipality led him to give up the project. He was replaced by Antoni Gaudí i Cornet who, from then on, would give the work his own personality.

The Temple has three façades, one of which looks onto the streets Marina and Cerdenya, the so-called Birth, which was built in the year 1891. The second one is the Passion, with the door of the Faith. It is presided over by the symbol of Saint Joseph, and includes groups of sculptures devoted to the visitation and to the infancy of Jesus. There are three groups of sculptures in the symbol of Jesus: the Annunciation, Nativity and Coronation of the Virgin.

Lastly, to the left can be found the door of hope, with the symbol of Mary and scenes concerning the holy family (a rock from Montserrat mountain, the spiritual heart of Catalonia, was placed on the crest).

The main façade which faces the sea evokes the Glory of God. The Towers, which are the main symbol of the temple, are more than 100m high and, according to the plans, above them, at 170m, crowning the central dome of the nave, a symbol of the Saviour will be installed.

Before his death, Gaudí had time to complete most of the interiors of the temple. The architect was so obsessed by this project that he even slept in the temple. It is thought that a distraction due to being lost in thought about the work may have been what prevented him from seeing the tram which knocked him down in 1926.

When Gaudí died, the architect Sugrañés i Gras took over the project until 1935, when the work came to a standstill because of the Civil War. After the interruption of the war, the architect Quintana i Vidal took over the work, followed by Lluís Bonet, Isidre Puig, Francesc de Paula Cardoner and the current coordinating architect, Jordi Bonet.  

The sculptor Josep Maria Subirachs is currently in charge of the sculptures (which some people criticize for their stylized lines, considered to be too distant from the original idea of Gaudí).

The best way for visitors to get to know Gaudí's projects is to visit the Sagrada Familia Museum, which exhibits abundant graphic material on the design of this temple. Visitors can climb to the top of one of the towers of the temple, which offers extraordinary views both of the city and of the temple itself.

Barrio Gótico:

The Barri Gòtic is the centre of Barcelona, where the city originated, and where the main public buildings are located: the Palau de la Generalitat, the Town Hall, the Cathedral, the Palau Reial.

Barcelona originated in Roman times and, despite its transformation in the Middle Ages, there are still traces of its origins.  

The Cardus, an ancient Roman road which went from east to west of the city, coincided with the route of Calle Del Bisbe and the north-south axis, the Decumanus, is now covered by Carrer de la Llibreteria and Carrer del Call.

The Roman walls, a short stretch of which can still be seen today, formed an irregular square, and can be reconstructed thanks to the remains of its outer walks:

- Tapineria and Sots-Tinent Navarro to the north;

- Avinguda de la Catedral and Plaça Nova to the west;

- and Carrer de la Palla to the south.

In the higher area of Mons Táber, a hill where the ancient Roman city originated, behind the current Plaça de Sant Jaume, was the forum, with the administrative buildings of the city.

Subsequently Counts, Kings of Aragón and ecclesiastical bodies adorned the neighbourhood over the following centuries with numerous monuments, some of which we will now discover.

The Cathedral began to be built in 1298 during the rule of James II of Aragon and completed in 1454.

It is one of the masterpieces of Spanish gothic. Despite its modest dimensions, not comparable with other big cathedrals such as those in Burgos or León, the temple is very rich in architectural elements.

The temple has a fountain where the Ou Com Balla ritual takes places, consisting of an egg placed on top of the jet of water, which remains suspended there thanks to the force of the water.

The current façade is 19th century and was designed by Josep Oriol Mestres and August Font, and sponsored by the famous Catalan businessman Manuel Girona.

Parque Güell:

Designed by Antoni Gaudí i Cornet and built from 1900 to 1914.

The assignment of this project was made by the count of Güell as an aristocratic city-garden with single-family residences.

The project finally wasn't a success and consequently it became a municipality property and since 1923 being transformed in a public park.

The main gateway show two administrative pavilions made in stone, roofs of Catalan vaults and covered of "trencadis" (surfaces covered with irregular ceramic pieces) who is also profusely present in the park and also in other Gaudí works and Art Nouveau architecture. Both roofs of those pavilions are crowned by original domes remembering mushrooms, the left building show a stylized tower with the Gaudí typical four branches cross.

Entering into the park, it is a stairway divided by different figures before to arrive to a colonnade hall with 86 massive columns sustaining the big square. It is interesting to look at the colored plafonds (designed by Josep Maria Jujol) on the roof.

The big square is a nice balcony overlooking Barcelona and the sea. The square is delimited by an undulated bench covered itself with "trencadis". This large square is used as a place for cultural and popular meetings.

The park is developed around this central square.

A large network of serpentine paths with extraordinary architectural solutions is the perfect solution to walk quietly to enjoy nature and look at this Gaudí artwork.  

Camp Nou:

You can visit every corner of the stadium and get a firsthand look at the places where day to day life takes place at the club and feel the magic of a five star venue. The Camp Nou Tour takes you through the past and present of an emblematic stadium for both Barça supporters and other football fans alike.

Follow in the footsteps of the players that have made history, such as Kubala, Cruyff, Maradona, Guardiola and Ronaldinho and feel the passion of FC Barcelona as you visit each of the fascinating zones: the presidents box, the press area, the changing room area and then down the tunnel and onto the pitch where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the stadium and really sense the dream of every Barcelona supporter, to feel for a moment just what it would be like to be a Barça player.  

The Camp Nou Tour also includes a visit to the Club Museum, where you can spend as long as you like admiring all the different trophies, photographs and personal belongings of the legendary stars that have all helped make FC Barcelona what it is today.  

Barcelona had outgrown their old stadium, Camp de Les Corts, which had held 60,000 supporters. The Camp Nou, built between 1954 and 1957, was designed by architects Francesc Mitjans-Miró, Lorenzo García Barbon and Josep Soteras Mauri. FC Barcelona won their first game at Camp Nou in impressive fashion, a 4-2 victory against Legia Warsaw, with Eulogio Martínez scoring the first goal at the new stadium. Over 90,000 fans were present at this momentous occasion.  

The stadium capacity has varied, opening at 93,053 but growing to 105,000 for the 1982 FIFA World Cup. With the outlawing of standing sections at the stadium in the late 1990s, its capacity settled to just below 99,000. One of the stands displaying Barcelona's motto, Més que un club meaning More than a club.  

The stadium's facilities include a memorabilia shop, mini pitches for training matches, and a chapel for players. The stadium also houses the most visited museum in Catalonia, El Museu del Barça, which receives about 1,200,000 visits per year. The museum was inaugurated in 1984 under the presidence of Josep Lluís Nuñez. The museum shows 1,420 pieces about FC Barcelona's history, of which 420 are trophies. The inauguration ceremony of the 1982 World Cup was held on June 13. In front of a 100,000-strong crowd, Belgium beat Argentina 1-0.

Excursions

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