1.
Barcelona
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Founded as a Roman city, in the Middle Ages Barcelona became the capital of the County of Barcelona. Barcelona has a cultural heritage and is today an important cultural centre. Particularly renowned are the works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner. The headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean is located in Barcelona, the city is known for hosting the 1992 Summer Olympics as well as world-class conferences and expositions and also many international sport tournaments. It is a cultural and economic centre in southwestern Europe, 24th in the world. In 2008 it was the fourth most economically powerful city by GDP in the European Union, in 2012 Barcelona had a GDP of $170 billion, it is leading Spain in both employment rate and GDP per capita change. In 2009 the city was ranked Europes third and one of the worlds most successful as a city brand, since 2011 Barcelona has been a leading smart city in Europe. During the Middle Ages, the city was known as Barchinona, Barçalona, Barchelonaa. Internationally, Barcelonas name is abbreviated to Barça. However, this refers only to FC Barcelona, the football club. The common abbreviated form used by locals is Barna, another common abbreviation is BCN, which is also the IATA airport code of the Barcelona-El Prat Airport. The city is referred to as the Ciutat Comtal in Catalan. The origin of the earliest settlement at the site of present-day Barcelona is unclear, the ruins of an early settlement have been excavated in the El Raval neighbourhood, including different tombs and dwellings dating to earlier than 5000 BC. The founding of Barcelona is the subject of two different legends, the first attributes the founding of the city to the mythological Hercules. In about 15 BC, the Romans redrew the town as a castrum centred on the Mons Taber, under the Romans, it was a colony with the surname of Faventia, or, in full, Colonia Faventia Julia Augusta Pia Barcino or Colonia Julia Augusta Faventia Paterna Barcino. It enjoyed immunity from imperial burdens, the city minted its own coins, some from the era of Galba survive. Some remaining fragments of the Roman walls have incorporated into the cathedral. The cathedral, also known as the Basilica La Seu, is said to have founded in 343
2.
Spain
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By population, Spain is the sixth largest in Europe and the fifth in the European Union. Spains capital and largest city is Madrid, other urban areas include Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Bilbao. Modern humans first arrived in the Iberian Peninsula around 35,000 years ago, in the Middle Ages, the area was conquered by Germanic tribes and later by the Moors. Spain is a democracy organised in the form of a government under a constitutional monarchy. It is a power and a major developed country with the worlds fourteenth largest economy by nominal GDP. Jesús Luis Cunchillos argues that the root of the span is the Phoenician word spy. Therefore, i-spn-ya would mean the land where metals are forged, two 15th-century Spanish Jewish scholars, Don Isaac Abravanel and Solomon ibn Verga, gave an explanation now considered folkloric. Both men wrote in two different published works that the first Jews to reach Spain were brought by ship by Phiros who was confederate with the king of Babylon when he laid siege to Jerusalem. This man was a Grecian by birth, but who had given a kingdom in Spain. He became related by marriage to Espan, the nephew of king Heracles, Heracles later renounced his throne in preference for his native Greece, leaving his kingdom to his nephew, Espan, from whom the country of España took its name. Based upon their testimonies, this eponym would have already been in use in Spain by c.350 BCE, Iberia enters written records as a land populated largely by the Iberians, Basques and Celts. Early on its coastal areas were settled by Phoenicians who founded Western Europe´s most ancient cities Cadiz, Phoenician influence expanded as much of the Peninsula was eventually incorporated into the Carthaginian Empire, becoming a major theater of the Punic Wars against the expanding Roman Empire. After an arduous conquest, the peninsula came fully under Roman Rule, during the early Middle Ages it came under Germanic rule but later, much of it was conquered by Moorish invaders from North Africa. In a process took centuries, the small Christian kingdoms in the north gradually regained control of the peninsula. The last Moorish kingdom fell in the same year Columbus reached the Americas, a global empire began which saw Spain become the strongest kingdom in Europe, the leading world power for a century and a half, and the largest overseas empire for three centuries. Continued wars and other problems led to a diminished status. The Napoleonic invasions of Spain led to chaos, triggering independence movements that tore apart most of the empire, eventually democracy was peacefully restored in the form of a parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Spain joined the European Union, experiencing a renaissance and steady economic growth
3.
Ricardo Bofill
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Ricardo Bofill Leví is a Spanish architect, who, since 1963, continues to lead the international architectural and urban design practice Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura. Ricardo Bofill was born into a family of builders in 1939 in Barcelona and he studied at the Barcelona University School of Architecture and graduated from the School of Geneva. At the age of 17, Ricardo Bofill designed his first project, a home in Ibiza. Over fifty years later, Bofill still leads Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura, Bofill was raised in a Catalan bourgeois family. His father, named Emilio Bofill, was a builder and developer, Bando Republican, and liberal, Ricardo’s mother, Maria Levi, was an Italian Jew who functioned as the matriarchal pillar of the family. During his adolescence, Ricardo Bofill studied at the Lycée Français de Barcelone and he spent much of his youth traveling throughout Spain, spending a significant amount of time in Andalusia where he discovered Spanish vernacular architecture. In 1957, he attended the Barcelona School of Architecture, while there, like many students of the time, he began developing strong Marxist ideals. During a demonstration, he was arrested and expelled from the university, Ricardo Bofill fled Barcelona in 1958 for Geneva, where he attended the Université de Beaux-Arts Genève to complete his education. In 1963, Ricardo Bofill joined his business, forming a multidisciplinary, multitalented team consisting of architects, engineers, planners, sociologist, writers. Bofill revived the characteristic craftsmanship of traditional Catalan architecture, later on, he began to deal with local urban-planning problems within the Spanish political and social level. The necessity to approach large- scale projects led Bofill’s team to conceive a ridged yet organic methodology based on the formation of elements in space. Such was developed in a manner with the project The City in Space. The factory lies directly next to Walden 7, in Sant Just Desvern, above the Cathedral lie Ricardo’s residence, green roofs and terraces. The entire complex was planted with gardens to create the effect of an oasis within the industrial area. The renovation project, which began in 1973, incorporates various architectural languages, Catalan Civic Gothic style, as a result of the economic crisis and the tense political situation in Spain, Ricardo began focusing elsewhere. In 1971, Ricardo formed a team in Paris, in response to the demands of various projects for the French “New Towns”. During this phase, Bofill introduced in his proposals symbolic elements directly related to the French monumental architecture, La Petite Cathédrale and La Maison d’Abraxas are examples of these inhabited monuments. In France, Ricardo Bofill’s name is associated with the project of Les Halles
4.
Catalonia
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Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, located on the northeastern extremity of the Iberian Peninsula. It is designated as a nationality by its Statute of Autonomy, Catalonia consists of four provinces, Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. The capital and largest city is Barcelona, the second-most populated municipality in Spain, Catalonia comprises most of the territory of the former Principality of Catalonia. It is bordered by France and Andorra to the north, the Mediterranean Sea to the east, the official languages are Catalan, Spanish, and the Aranese dialect of Occitan. The eastern counties of these marches were united under the rule of the Frankish vassal the Count of Barcelona, in the later Middle Ages Catalan literature flourished. Between 1469 and 1516, the King of Aragon and the Queen of Castile married and ruled their kingdoms together, retaining all their distinct institutions, Courts, and constitutions. During the Franco-Spanish War, Catalonia revolted against a large and burdensome presence of the Royal army in its territory, within a brief period France took full control of Catalonia, at a high economic cost for Catalonia, until it was largely reconquered by the Spanish army. In the nineteenth century, Catalonia was severely affected by the Napoleonic, in the second half of the century Catalonia experienced industrialisation. As wealth from the industrial expansion grew, Catalonia saw a cultural renaissance coupled with incipient nationalism while several workers movements appeared. In 1914, the four Catalan provinces formed a Commonwealth, and with the return of democracy during the Second Spanish Republic, after the Spanish Civil War, the Francoist dictatorship enacted repressive measures, abolishing Catalan institutions and banning the official use of the Catalan language again. Since the Spanish transition to democracy, Catalonia has regained some political and cultural autonomy and is now one of the most economically dynamic communities of Spain, the origin of the name Catalunya is subject to diverse interpretations because of a lack of evidence. During the Middle Ages, Byzantine chroniclers claimed that Catalania derives from the medley of Goths with Alans. Other less plausible theories suggest, Catalunya derives from the land of castles, having evolved from the term castlà or castlan. This theory therefore suggests that the names Catalunya and Castile have a common root, the source is of Celtic origin, meaning chiefs of battle. Although the area is not known to have been occupied by Celts, the Lacetani, an Iberian tribe that lived in the area and whose name, due to the Roman influence, could have evolved by metathesis to Katelans and then Catalans. In English, Catalonia is pronounced /kætəˈloʊniə/, the native name, Catalunya, is pronounced in Central Catalan, the most widely spoken variety whose pronunciation is considered standard. The Spanish name is Cataluña, and the Aranese name is Catalonha, the first known human settlements in what is now Catalonia were at the beginning of the Middle Palaeolithic. From the next era, the Epipaleolithic or Mesolithic, important remains survive
5.
Generalitat de Catalunya
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The Government of Catalonia or Generalitat de Catalunya is the institution under which the autonomous community of Catalonia in Spain is politically organised. It consists of the Parliament of Catalonia, the President of the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Generalitat had responsibility for an annual budget of €24 billion in 2006, rising to €33 billion in 2010. The Generalitat of Catalonia stems from the institution which ruled, in the name of the King of the Crown of Aragon. The first Catalan constitution is that of the Corts of Barcelona from 1283, another medieval precedent- the Diputació del General de Catalunya – which the 1931 legislators felt was appropriate for invoking as a legitimising base for contemporary self-government. Then, by the early 18th century, as the Nueva Planta decrees were passed in Spain, the president of the Generalitat at the time, Lluís Companys, was tortured and executed in October 1940 for the crime of military rebellion. Artur Mas, the leader of the Convergence and Union alliance, has been the president of the government since mid-December 2010. His party did not obtain a majority in the 2010 election. His election as president was enabled by support of the Socialists Party of Catalonia, on 18 June 2006, a reformed version was approved of the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia and went into effect in August. The current president of the Generalitat is Carles Puigdemont, previous president Artur Mas was recently charged by the Spanish government for civil disobedience, after he organised and staged a referendum on independence in 2014. The autonomous government consists of the Executive Council, the President, some people wrongly apply this name only to the executive council, however, Generalitat de Catalunya is the system of Catalan autonomous government as a whole. The region has achieved a greater degree of autonomy since 1979. After Navarre and the Basque Country regions, Catalonia has the greatest level of self-government in Spain, the Generalitat holds exclusive and wide jurisdiction in various matters of culture, environment, communications, transportation, commerce, public safety and local governments. In many aspects relating to education, health and justice, the region shares jurisdiction with the Spanish government, with few exceptions, most of the justice system is administered by national judicial institutions. The fields of law that are subject to autonomous legislation have been codified in the Civil Code of Catalonia consisting of six books that have successively entered into force since 2003. As an autonomous community of Spain, Catalonia is not recognized as a state by any sovereign state. However, as Catalonia has progressively gained a degree of self-government in recent years. For the most part, these relationships are with the governments of other powerful entities such as Quebec or California. In addition, like most Spanish autonomous communities, Catalonia has permanent delegations before international organizations, altogether, Catalonia has well over 40 representative offices worldwide
6.
Postmodern architecture
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The movement was given a doctrine by the architect and architectural theorist Robert Venturi in his 1966 book Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture. The style flourished from the 1980s through the 1990s, particularly in the work of Venturi, Philip Johnson, Charles Moore, in the late 1990s it divided into a multitude of new tendencies, including high-tech architecture, neo-classicism and deconstructivism. The architect and architectural historian Robert Venturi led the attack in 1966 in his book, Complexity, … I welcome the problems and exploit the uncertainties. … I like elements which are rather than pure, compromising rather than clean. … I am for messy vitality over obvious unity, … I prefer both-and to either-or, black and white, and sometimes gray, to black or white. … An architecture of complexity and contradiction must embody the difficult unity of inclusion rather than the easy unity of exclusion, Venturis second book, Learning from Las Vegas, co-authored with his wife, Denise Scott Brown, and Steven Izenour, further developed his argument against modernism. He urged architects take into consideration and to celebrate the architecture in a place. He argued that ornamental and decorative elements accommodate existing needs for variety, Rossi insisted that cities be rebuilt in ways that preserved their historical fabric and local traditions. Similar ideas were and projects were put forward at the Venice Biennale in 1980, the call for a post-modern style was joined by Christian de Portzamparc in France and Ricardo Bofill in Spain, and in Japan by Arata Isozaki. Robert Venturi was both a prominent theorist of postmodernism and an architect who buildings illustrated his ideas, after studying at the American Academy in Rome, he worked in the offices of the modernists Eero Saarinen Louis Kahn until 1958, and then became a professor architecture at Yale University. One of his first buildings was the Guild House in Philadelphia and these two houses became symbols of the postmodern movement. He went on to design, in the 1960s and 1970s, Michael Graves designed two of the most prominent buildings in the postmodern style, the Portland Building and the Denver Public Library. The building has since added to the National Register of Historic Places. The most famous work of architect Charles Moore is the Piazza dItalia in New Orleans, drawing upon the Spanish Revival architecture of the city hall, Moore designed the Beverly Hills Civic Center in a mixture of Spanish Revival, Art Deco and Post-Modern styles. It includes courtyards, colonnades, promenades, and buildings, with open and semi-enclosed spaces, stairways and balconies. Philip Johnson began his career as a pure modernist, in 1935 he co-authored the famous catalog of the Museum of Modern Art exposition on the International Style, and studied with Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer at Harvard. His Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut, inspired b a similar house by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe became an icon of the modernist movement and he worked with Mies on another iconic modernist project, the Seagrams Building in New York City. However, his buildings in the 1970, such as IDS Center in Minneapolis and Pennzoil Place in Houston were massive, sober
7.
Angels in America
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Angels in America, A Gay Fantasia on National Themes is a 1993 play in two parts by American playwright Tony Kushner. The work won awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Tony Award for Best Play. The play is a complex, often metaphorical, and at times symbolic examination of AIDS, certain major and minor characters are supernatural beings or deceased persons. The play contains multiple roles for several of the actors, initially and primarily focusing on a gay couple in Manhattan, the play also has several other storylines, some of which occasionally intersect. The two parts of the play are separately presentable and entitled Millennium Approaches and Perestroika, respectively, the play has been made into a television miniseries, and an opera by Peter Eötvös. Set in New York City in 1985, the opens with Louis Ironson. As Priors illness progresses, Louis becomes unable to cope and moves out, Prior begins to receive visits from a pair of ghosts who claim to be his own ancestors, and hears an angelic voice telling him to prepare for her arrival. Prior does not know if these visitations are caused by a breakdown or if they are real. Joe hesitates to accept out of concern for his agoraphobic wife Harper, Harper suspects that Joe does not love her, which is confirmed when Joe confesses his homosexuality. Harper retreats into a drug-fueled escapist fantasy, including a dream where she crosses paths with Prior even though the two of them have never met in the real world. Joes conservative mother Hannah arrives in New York, where she finds that in reality Harper has been wandering the streets of the city while Joe begins an affair with Louis, denying her sons homosexuality, Hannah instead tries to force a reconciliation between Harper and Joe. Connecting all these characters is Roy Cohn, himself deeply closeted, Cohn uses his political connections to secure a supply of an experimental drug, AZT, at the expense of withholding the drug from participants in a drug trial. Now alone in a hospital, Cohn finds himself judged by his night nurse Belize and the ghost of Ethel Rosenberg, whom Cohn had executed years before. At the end of Part One, Prior is visited by an angel, who proclaims Prior to be a prophet and tells him that the Great Work has begun. As the play continues, the angel reveals to Prior that Heaven is a city that resembles San Francisco. The progress of mankind on Earth caused Heaven to physically deteriorate, finally, on the day of the San Francisco earthquake, God abandoned Heaven. The angel brings Prior a message for mankind—stop moving. —in the belief that if man ceases to progress, Prior confides this vision to Belize, but Belize believes that Prior is projecting his own fears of abandonment into an elaborate hallucination. Prior goes to a Mormon visitors center to research angels, where he meets Harper, the two recognize each other from their shared dream
8.
Tony Kushner
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Anthony Robert Tony Kushner is an American playwright and screenwriter. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1993 for his play Angels in America and he co-authored with Eric Roth the screenplay for the 2005 film Munich, and he wrote the screenplay for the 2012 film Lincoln. Both movies were critically acclaimed, and he received Academy Award nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay, for his work, he received a National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama in 2013. Kushner was born in Manhattan, New York, the son of Sylvia, a bassoonist, and William David Kushner and his family is Jewish, descended from immigrants from Russia/Poland. Shortly after his birth, Kushners parents moved to Lake Charles, Louisiana, during high school Kushner was active in policy debate. In 1974, Kushner moved to New York to begin his college education at Columbia University. He attended the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, graduating in 1984, Kushners best known work is Angels in America, a seven-hour epic about the AIDS epidemic in Reagan-era New York, which was later adapted into an HBO miniseries for which Kushner wrote the screenplay. His other plays include Hydriotaphia, Slavs, thinking About the Longstanding Problems of Virtue and Happiness, A Bright Room Called Day, Homebody/Kabul, and the book for the musical Caroline, or Change. His new translation of Bertolt Brechts Mother Courage and Her Children was performed at the Delacorte Theater in the summer of 2006, starring Meryl Streep, Kushner has also adapted Brechts The Good Person of Szechwan, Corneilles The Illusion, and S. Anskys play The Dybbuk. In the early 2000s, Kushner began writing for film and his co-written screenplay Munich was produced and directed by Steven Spielberg in 2005. In January 2006, a feature about Kushner entitled Wrestling With Angels debuted at the Sundance Film Festival. The film was directed by Freida Lee Mock, in a 2015 interview actress/producer Viola Davis revealed she had hired him to write an as yet untitled biopic about the life of Barbara Jordan that she planned to star in. In 2016, Kushner worked on August Wilsons screenplay for Fences, scheduled for release in December 2016, the film is directed by Denzel Washington. Kushner is famous for frequent revisions and years-long gestations of his plays, both Angels in America, Perestroika and Homebody/Kabul were significantly revised even after they were first published. Kushner has admitted that the script version of Angels in America. His newest completed work, the play The Intelligent Homosexuals Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures, said work finally opened on May 15,2009. The Zionist Organization of America unsuccessfully lobbied the university to rescind its invitation to Kushner, during the controversy, quotes critical of Zionism and Israel made by Kushner were circulated. Kushner said at the time that his quotes were grossly mischaracterized, in an interview with the Jewish Independent, Kushner commented, I want the state of Israel to continue to exist
9.
Royal National Theatre
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The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdoms three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. Internationally, it is known as the National Theatre of Great Britain, from its foundation in 1963 until 1976, the company was based at the Old Vic theatre in Waterloo. The current building is located next to the Thames in the South Bank area of central London, in addition to performances at the National Theatre building, the National Theatre company tours productions at theatres across the United Kingdom. Since 1988, the theatre has been permitted to call itself the Royal National Theatre, the theatre presents a varied programme, including Shakespeare and other international classic drama, and new plays by contemporary playwrights. Each auditorium in the theatre can run up to three shows in repertoire, thus widening the number of plays which can be put on during any one season. In June 2009, the theatre began National Theatre Live, a programme of simulcasts of live productions to cinemas, first in the United Kingdom, the programme began with a production of Phèdre, starring Helen Mirren, which was screened live in 70 cinemas across the UK. NT Live productions have since been broadcast to over 1,000 venues in 35 countries around the world, the NT had an annual turnover of approximately £87 million in 2012–13, of which earned income made up 80%. Support from Arts Council England provided 20% of income, and the remaining 7% came from a mixture of companies, individuals, trusts, in 1847, a critic using the pseudonym Dramaticus published a pamphlet describing the parlous state of British theatre. Production of serious plays was restricted to the patent theatres, at the same time, there was a burgeoning theatre sector featuring a diet of low melodrama and musical burlesque, but critics described British theatre as driven by commercialism and a star system. There was a demand to commemorate serious theatre, with the Shakespeare Committee purchasing the playwrights birthplace for the nation demonstrating a recognition of the importance of serious drama, the following year saw more pamphlets on a demand for a National Theatre from London publisher Effingham William Wilson. The situation continued, with a renewed call every decade for a National Theatre, attention was aroused in 1879 when the Comédie-Française took a residency at the Gaiety Theatre, described in The Times as representing the highest aristocracy of the theatre. This still left the capital without a national theatre and this work was interrupted by World War I. The play was part of the campaign to build a National Theatre. Still, the Government tried to apply unacceptable conditions to save money, attempting to force the amalgamation of the publicly supported companies. In July 1962, with agreements reached, a board was set up to supervise construction. The National Theatre Company opened on 22 October 1963 with Hamlet, the current building was designed by architects Sir Denys Lasdun and Peter Softley and structural engineers Flint & Neill and contains three stages, which opened individually between 1976 and 1977. The construction work was carried out by Sir Robert McAlpine, the Company was to remain at the Old Vic until 1977, when construction of the Olivier was complete. The National Theatre building houses three separate auditoria, additionally, a temporary structure was added in April 2013 and closed in May 2016
10.
Catalan language
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Catalan is a Romance language derived from Vulgar Latin and named after the medieval Principality of Catalonia, in northeastern modern Spain and adjoining parts of France. It is the national and only language of Andorra, and a co-official language of the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands. It also has status in the commune of Alghero, situated on the northwestern coast of the island of Sardinia. All these territories are often called Catalan Countries. 4% with Catalan and 47. 5% only Spanish, in order to integrate newcomers, the Generalitat de Catalunya spends part of its annual budget on the promotion of the use of Catalan in Catalonia and in other territories. Catalan evolved from Vulgar Latin in the Middle Ages around the eastern Pyrenees, during the Low Middle Ages it saw a golden age as the literary and dominant language of the Crown of Aragon, and was widely used all over the Mediterranean. The union of Aragon with the territories of Spain in 1479 marked the start of the decline of the language. In 1659 Spain ceded Northern Catalonia to France, and Catalan was banned in both states in the early 18th century, 19th-century Spain saw a Catalan literary revival, which culminated in the 1913 orthographic standardization, and the official status of the language during the Second Spanish Republic. However, the Francoist dictatorship banned the use of Catalan in schools and in the public administration, there is no parallel in Europe for such a large, bilingual, non-state speech community. Catalan dialects are relatively uniform, and are mutually intelligible and they are divided into two blocks, Eastern and Western, differing mostly in pronunciation. The terms Catalan and Valencian are two varieties of the same language, there are two institutions regulating the two standard varieties, the Institute of Catalan Studies in Catalonia and the Valencian Academy of the Language in the Valencian Community. Catalan shares many traits with its neighboring Romance languages, thus, the similarities are naturally most notable with eastern Occitan. Nouns have two genders, and two numbers, pronouns additionally can have a neuter gender, and some are also inflected for case and politeness, and can be combined in very complex ways. Verbs are split in several paradigms and are inflected for person, number, tense, aspect, mood, in terms of pronunciation, Catalan has many words ending in a wide variety of consonants and some consonant clusters, in contrast with many other Romance languages. The word Catalan derives from the territory of Catalonia, itself of disputed etymology, in English, the term referring to a person first appears in the mid 14th century as Catelaner, followed in the 15th century as Catellain. It is attested a language name since at least 1652, Catalan can be pronounced as /ˈkætəlæn/, /kætəˈlæn/ or /ˈkætələn/. The endonym is pronounced /kə. təˈɫa/ in the Eastern Catalan dialects, in the Valencian Community, the term valencià is frequently used instead. The names Catalan and Valencian are two names for the same language, see also status of Valencian below. By the 9th century, Catalan had evolved from Vulgar Latin on both sides of the end of the Pyrenees, as well as the territories of the Roman province of Hispania Tarraconensis to the south
11.
Culture in Barcelona
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Barcelonas culture stems from the citys 2000 years of history. To a greater extent than the rest of Catalonia, where Catalonias native Catalan is more dominant, Barcelona is a city, Catalan. Since the arrival of democracy, the Catalan culture has been promoted, Barcelona houses a great number of museums, which cover different areas and eras. The City History Museum, situated in a building that used to be a royal residence, explains the story of the city. The Museum of the History of Catalonia, opened in 1996, covers the story of Catalonia since prehistoric times and administers the monuments that belong to the Generalitat de Catalunya. The Archaeology Museum of Catalonia covers the story of Catalonia up to the Middle Ages, and of the cultures it came into contact with, and also runs several other archaeological sites in Catalonia. The Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art, usually known as MACBA, focuses on post-1945 Catalan and Spanish art, adjacent to the MACBA, the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona, or CCCB, hosts temporary exhibitions, a cinema, concerts and other cultural events. The Fundació Antoni Tàpies holds a collection of Tàpies works, cosmoCaixa is a science museum run by La Caixa Foundation that received the European Museum of the Year Award in 2006. CaixaForum Barcelona is an art gallery that is run by La Caixa Foundation. The Museums assets consist of more than 800 pieces of historical value. The Barri Gòtic is the centre of the old city of Barcelona, many of the buildings date from medieval times, some from as far back as the Roman settlement of Barcelona. Other historical areas include El Raval and El Born, Catalan modernisme architecture, developed between 1885 and 1950 and left an important legacy in Barcelona. A great number of buildings are World Heritage Sites. Especially remarkable is the work of architect Antoni Gaudí, which can be throughout the city. Other examples of his work are the Palau Güell, the Park Güell, the Casa Milà and this was based on Ildefons Cerdàs linear mid-19th century urban plan, which was revolutionary at the time and which is still notable for allowing new architecture to be built on unused ground. Another notable architect was Lluís Domènech i Montaner, who designed the Palau de la Música Catalana, the Hospital de Sant Pau, josep Puig i Cadafalchs Casa Ametller can also be seen on Passeig de Gràcia. Among those works, the Torre Agbar is one of the ones that has caused more disparaging opinions, as a result of its unusual shape, the building is known by several nicknames, such as el supositori, lobús and some more eschatological ones. Barcelona won the 1999 RIBA Royal Gold Medal for its architecture, the first time that the winner has been a city, works of Lluís Domènech i Montaner, Palau de la Música Catalana and Hospital de Sant Pau, included in the list in 1997
12.
Landmark
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A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances. In modern use, the term can also be applied to structures or features. In old English the word landmearc was used to describe a set up to mark the boundaries of a kingdom, estate. 1560, this understanding of landmark was replaced by a general one. A landmark became an object in a landscape. A landmark literally meant a geographic feature used by explorers and others to find their way back or through an area. For example, the Table Mountain near Cape Town, South Africa is used as the landmark to sailors to navigate around southern tip of Africa during the Age of Exploration. Artificial structures are sometimes built to assist sailors in naval navigation. The Lighthouse of Alexandria and Colossus of Rhodes are ancient structures built to lead ships to the port, in modern usage, a landmark includes anything that is easily recognizable, such as a monument, building, or other structure. In American English it is the term used to designate places that might be of interest to tourists due to notable physical features or historical significance. Landmarks in the British English sense are often used for casual navigation and this is done in American English as well. In urban studies as well as in geography, a landmark is furthermore defined as a point of reference that helps orienting in a familiar or unfamiliar environment. Landmarks are often used in verbal route instructions and as such an object of study by linguists as well as in fields of study. Landmarks are usually classified as either natural landmarks or man-made landmarks, a variant is a seamark or daymark, a structure usually built intentionally to aid sailors navigating featureless coasts. Natural landmarks can be characteristic features, such as mountains or plateaus, examples of natural landmarks are Table Mountain in South Africa, Mount Ararat in Turkey, Uluru in Australia, Mount Fuji in Japan and Grand Canyon in the United States. Trees might also serve as landmarks, such as jubilee oaks or conifers. Some landmark trees may be nicknamed, examples being Queens Oak, church spires and mosques minarets are often very tall and visible from many miles around, thus often serve as built landmarks. Also town hall towers and belfries often have a landmark character, cultural heritage management National landmark National symbol Media related to Landmarks at Wikimedia Commons
13.
La Barceloneta, Barcelona
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La Barceloneta is a neighborhood in the Ciutat Vella district of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The neighborhood was constructed during the 18th century for the residents of the Ribera neighborhood who had been displaced by the construction of the Ciutadella of Barcelona. The neighborhood is roughly triangular, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, the Moll dEspanya of Port Vell, and this neighborhood even has its own flag. The neighborhood is serviced by its own stop on the Barcelona Metro and this is a good starting point for whatever itinerary there may be to adventure through La Barceloneta. The yellow line, L4, which is the line that stops at La Barceloneta, is the most popular for pickpocketing. The neighborhood can also be discovered by taking Las Gorondrinas, which leave from the front port of the Columbus monument and this way the marine strip can be discovered, but the real charm of this neighborhood is by getting lost in the side streets or alleyways. Torre Sant Sebastià is the terminus of the Port Vell Aerial Tramway, opened in 1931, La Barceloneta is known for its sandy beach and its many restaurants and nightclubs along the boardwalk. Over the past several years the quality of the sand on the beach has become a source of continued controversy, in February 2008, the World Health Organisation began an inquiry designed to ascertain whether the sand meets WHO beach health and safety guidelines. With its modernity, La Barceloneta continues to inhabit the scent of salt, for many, this is considered a luxury. La Barceloneta also attracts many cruise ships to dock, in the center of the neighborhood, there is a small museum, called Casa de la Barceloneta, which is housed in a preserved building dating back to 1761. Admission to the museum serves as an insight into the evolution of the neighborhood, the house has a stone façade with letters and number engraved that are inscriptions of the plots used in construction. La Barceloneta was practically an uninhabited zone until the mid 18th century, fishermen were the first to frequent this part of Barcelona even though the sea conditions were very precarious. In 1754, construction of the first houses began, and the neighborhood began to become filled with residents who took part in activities of the port, the neighborhood of La Barceloneta was designed by an engineer named Juan Martín Cermeño. The famous markets located in La Barceloneta were designed by the famous Catalan architect Antoni Rovira i Trias in 1873. He had a plan for the future of Barcelona architecture which won the 1859 municipal contest by city councils decree. In the present day, in the building of Palau de Mar on the Passeig de Joan de Borbó and this museum contains a permanent exhibit about the history of Catalonia up until its industrialization, the era of dictatorship, or the present day democracy. Additionally, the terrace of their cafeteria has an excellent view of the neighborhood and this neighborhood is far from lacking ancient history with its churches, like the Sant Miquel del Port located in the Barceloneta plaza. This church is located near the campus of Pompeu Fabra University
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Somorrostro
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Somorrostro Beach is one of the beaches in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It is located between Hospital del Mar and Marina Street, in the far east area of the Barceloneta neighborhood, in the Ciutat Vella district. During the nineteenth century and part of the twentieth, the beach, famous dancer Carmen Amaya was born there, and Los Tarantos, a major film about flamenco starring Amaya, was filmed there in 1963. It wasnt until 1966 with a visit of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco that the slum completely disappeared, the Somorrostro name was forgotten and the beach became one of the most popular in the city. It wasnt until 2010 that Somorrostro beach got its name back
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Ancient synagogue (Barcelona)
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The Ancient Synagogue of Barcelona is believed to be an ancient synagogue located in the centre of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It has been described as one of the oldest synagogues in Europe, after many centuries of use for other purposes, the building re-opened as a synagogue and museum in 2002. No congregation prays regularly at the Sinagoga Major, but it is used for festive occasions, archaeological investigations show that the original structure of the building was built in the third or fourth century, whether this structure was the synagogue cannot be said with certainty. The building was expanded during the 13th century. Medieval Barcelona is known to have had several synagogues, and the synagogue was certainly in the immediate area. King James I visited the synagogue in 1263 at the conclusion of the Barcelona Disputation, shlomo ben Aderet served as the rabbi of the Sinagoga Major for 50 years. The Jews of Barcelona were massacred in 1391, the building was used for many purposes and its original use was forgotten. Over the centuries, additional stories were added to the building, in 1987, Jaume Riera y Sans began researching the location of the Sinagoga Major. His research was based on a reconstruction of the route followed by a tax collector that ended at the Sinagoga Major. Rieras work led Miguel Iaffa to examine the exterior of the building, Iaffa noted that the structure had been built in compliance with religious requirements that the building should face Jerusalem and that it should have two windows. In fact, the orientation of the building broke with the northwest/southeast alignment of the streets in its neighborhood. Iaffa purchased the building in 1995 when its owner put it up for sale, the Call Association of Barcelona, led by Iaffa, undertook the recovery and restoration of the synagogue. The Sinagoga Major was opened to the public in 2002, in 2003, two Canadians became the first couple to be married at the Sinagoga Major in more than 600 years. A New York attorney donated a 500-year-old sefer Torah to the synagogue in 2006, in January 2009, a right-wing extremist affiliated with the Republican Social Movement attacked the Sinagoga Major. The attacker was detained by police, oldest synagogues in the world Lazar, Marilyn. Barcelona home to one of Europes oldest shuls
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Arc de Triomf
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The Arc de Triomf or Arco de Triunfo in spanish, is a triumphal arch in the city of Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain. It was built, by architect Josep Vilaseca i Casanovas, as the access gate for the 1888 Barcelona World Fair. The arch crosses over the central promenade of the Passeig de Lluís Companys. It is located at the end of the promenade, facing the Passeig de Sant Joan. The arch is built in brickwork in the Neo-Mudéjar style. The front frieze contains the stone sculpture Barcelona rep les nacions by Josep Reynés, the opposite frieze contains a stone carving entitled Recompensa, a work from Josep Llimonas earliest period, representing the granting of awards to the participants in the World Exposition. The friezes along the sides of the arch include allegories of agriculture and industry by Antoni Vilanova and of trade, Arc de Triomf metro station Arc de Triomf railway station Brief description and history of Barcelonas Arc de Triomf on the official Barcelona Tourism site. The Arc de Triomf on Google Maps
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Avinguda Diagonal
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Avinguda Diagonal is the name of one of Barcelonas broadest and most important avenues. It cuts the city in two, diagonally from west to east, hence the name, both would meet at Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes, which Cerdà envisioned as the new city centre. Avinguda Diagonal remains to this day a much-transited avenue and many companies and hotels use it as a privileged location, the avenue starts in the Les Corts district on the western edge of the city and runs to the Sant Martí district on the eastern edge. To its west, it connects with the Lleida-Madrid highway and Ronda de Dalt in the municipality of Esplugues de Llobregat. To its east, it meets the Ronda del Litoral on the border with the municipality of Sant Adrià de Besòs and it is consistently 50 metres wide and about 11 kilometres long. The different regimes that held power in Catalonia and Spain during the 20th century sought to change the street names. It has been known under the names, Gran Via Diagonal – original name which Ildefons Cerdà. Avinguda de la Nacionalitat Catalana –1922, during Miguel Primo de Riveras dictatorship, named after King Alfonso XIII. Avinguda del Catorze dAbril –1931, Gran Vía Diagonal –1939, provisional name imposed the day after the Fascist capture of Barcelona as an attempt to eliminate references to the Republic. Avenida del Generalísimo Francisco Franco –1939, during the authoritarian regime of Francisco Franco. Avinguda Diagonal – Its current name, adopted following the restoration of democracy in 1979, however, it should be noted that the name Diagonal has always prevailed in popular usage. Ildefons Cerdàs so-called Pla Cerdà was not totally successful in transforming Barcelonas urban reality, the city council of Barcelona had previously requested the approval of Antoni Rovira i Triass alternative project instead, which had been rejected. Francesc Cambó, leader of Lliga Regionalista proposed the construction of a new palace for the then monarch Alfonso XIII in 1919, Avinguda Diagonal suffered several attacks by the Basque separatist organisation ETA in 2000. On 2 November, a car bomb exploded injuring a security officer, a few days later, on 21 November, a car used by the killers of Enerst Lluch exploded in the middle of the avenue. On 20 December a municipal officer was shot dead, four venues in the area hosted competitions for the 1992 Summer Olympics. During 2010, Diagonal reform proposals were on the headlines, as the Barcelona city council had plans to make the cross the whole avenue. A popular consultation was scheduled for May 2010 between two reform proposals, the so-called rambla or boulevard and it resulted in a big political failure for the city mayor, Jordi Hereu. There was a participation of 12% of potential voters
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Barcelona Cathedral
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The cathedral was constructed from the 13th to 15th centuries, with the principal work done in the 14th century. The cloister, which encloses the Well of the Geese was completed in 1448, in the late 19th century, the neo-Gothic façade was constructed over the nondescript exterior that was common to Catalan churches. The roof is notable for its gargoyles, featuring a range of animals. It is a pseudobasilica, vaulted over five aisles, the two divided into chapels. 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. The cathedral is dedicated to Eulalia of Barcelona, co-patron saint of Barcelona, 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, the body of Saint Eulalia is entombed in the cathedrals 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 Holy Roman Emperor, selected Barcelona as the site of a chapter of his Order. In 1518 the Orders herald, Thomas Isaac, and its treasurer, juan de Borgonya executed the painted decoration of the sanctuary. The church was named after Barcelonas patron saint Eulalia, its official name - Catedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulalia - is Catalan for Cathedral of the Holy Cross, the commonly used name La Seu refers to the status of the church as the seat of the diocese. The side Chapel of the Holy Sacrament and of the Holy Christ of Lepanto contains a cross said to date from the time of the Battle of Lepanto. The cathedral has a secluded Gothic cloister where 13 white geese are kept, a program of cleaning and restoration of the cathedral was carried out from 1968-72. Reportedly, this Visigothic chapel was dedicated to Saint James, and was the church of the Viscounts of Barcelona. However, in a document from the Second Council of Barcelona in 599 and this church was severely damaged by al-Mansur during his attack on Barcelona in 985. In 1046, Count Ramon Berenguer I and his wife Almodis, together with Bishop Guislabert, began construction of a Romanesque cathedral at the site, the cathedral was constructed over the crypt of the former church. It has been reported that a Viscount of Barcelona, Mir Geribert, sold the site to Bishop Guislebert in 1058, however this date does not coincide with the reported start of construction. The present Gothic cathedral was begun on the foundations of the churches on 1 May 1298, James II the Just was King of Aragon at the time. The church was built from the east end towards the west end, the cloister was completed in 1448, making the total duration of construction 150 years
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Barcelona Pavilion
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The Barcelona Pavilion, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, was the German Pavilion for the 1929 International Exposition in Barcelona, Spain. This building was used for the opening of the German section of the exhibition. It is an important building in the history of architecture, known for its simple form and its spectacular use of extravagant materials, such as marble, red onyx. The same features of minimalism and spectacular can be applied to the prestigious furniture specifically designed for the building, among which the iconic Barcelona chair and it has inspired many important modernist buildings, including Michael Mansers Capel Manor House in Kent. Mies was offered the commission of building in 1928 after his successful administration of the 1927 Werkbund exhibition in Stuttgart. However, Mies had severe time constraints—he had to design the Barcelona Pavilion in less than a year—and was also dealing with economic conditions. In the years following World War I, Germany started to turn around, the economy started to recover after the 1924 Dawes Plan. The Commissioner, Georg von Schnitzler said it should give voice to the spirit of a new era and this concept was carried out with the realization of the Free plan and the Floating roof. Miess response to the proposal by von Schnitzler was radical, the pavilion was to be bare, with no exhibits, leaving only the structure accompanying a single sculpture and specially-designed furniture. This lack of accommodation enabled Mies to treat the Pavilion as a continuous space, the design was predicated on an absolute distinction between structure and enclosure—a regular grid of cruciform steel columns interspersed by freely spaced planes. However, the structure was more of a style, some of these planes also acted as supports. The floor plan is very simple, the entire building rests on a plinth of travertine. A southern U-shaped enclosure, also of travertine, helps form a service annex, the floor slabs of the pavilion project out and over the pool—once again connecting inside and out. Another U-shaped wall on the side of the site also forms a smaller water basin. This is where the statue by Georg Kolbe sits, the roof plates, relatively small, are supported by the chrome-clad, cruciform columns. This gives the impression of a hovering roof, robin Evans said that the reflective columns appear to be struggling to hold the floating roof plane down, not to be bearing its weight. Mies wanted this building to become an ideal zone of tranquillity for the weary visitor, since the pavilion lacked a real exhibition space, the building itself was to become the exhibit. The pavilion was designed to block any passage through the site, rather, visitors would enter by going up a few stairs, and due to the slightly sloped site, would leave at ground level in the direction of the Poble Espanyol
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Barcelona Royal Shipyard
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The Barcelona Royal Shipyard is a shipyard and former military building of Gothic architecture placed at the Port Vell area of the Port of Barcelona. Nowadays it houses the Barcelona Maritime Museum, Construction started during the 13th century under the rule of Peter III of Aragon. During excavations in 2012 it was discovered that in the late 16th century a new building was constructed on top of the old medieval dockyard and this excavations also uncovered a Roman graveyard. The shipyards restoration was finished in early 2013, the Museum was reopened in 2014. 13th century, This period of construction started with the War of the Sicilian Vespers, in 1285, Peter III of Aragon ordered the construction of the shipyard, a rectangular fortification with no roof consisting of fortified walls and four towers, of which two still exist. The shipyard opened to the east, 14th century, This expansion comprises the period from 1328 to 1390. The city walls where expanded and included the shipyard inside the fortified city, a roof was added to prevent the degradation of the galleys stored during winter. 15th century, Construction started in 1390 and lasted until 1415, a new area, “Porxo Nou”, was added to the building. This part of the shipyard is also known as “Pere IV”, the area was meant to be a royal palace, but the idea was finally discarded. Excavation shows that only the foundations for the palace were built, 16th century, The medieval building was replaced by a new dockyard a few meters inland. The construction of the new dockyards and the inland was caused by the construction of the citys port during the 15th century. The new port had changed the currents and moved the shore inland, 17th century, In 1612, the Catalan government decided to add three naves to the building. Following the Catalan Revolt the Spanish government further amplified the shipyard both as an arsenal and a barracks, 18th century, In 1725, Two more barracks were constructed, one for cavalry and one for infantry. These barracks where torn down in 1935, the last major update came between 1742 and 1749, when the roofs of the two central naves were converted into a single nave, known as “Nau Central”. From the beginning the aim of the shipyard was to build the galleys for the Aragonese Armada, the shipyard was also a naval arsenal, which was used to store galleys and all the rigging and apparatus needed. The arsenal also produced a great deal of material, both sales and cordages for the ships and arms for the men, naval arsenals of the time, normally, had to produce and store food also. After the 1381 renovation, the building had eight naves,8. 4m high and 8. 4m wide, the naves were, approximately, 60m long, consisting of 17 columns 77 cm wide and 6 m high. Thanks to a record of the time we know that four new storage areas were built
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Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy
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The Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy is a Baroque-style basilica in Barcelona, Catalonia. It was built between 1765 and 1775, being the work of Catalan architect Josep Mas i Dordal, the dome of the church is crowned with the iconic statue of Our Lady that is visible from the seaside promenade near the drassanes. This church was the second in Barcelona to receive the title of minor basilica, the title was granted in 1918 by Pope Benedict XV, commemorating the seven hundredth anniversary of the apparition of the Virgin to St. Peter Nolasco, founder of the Order of Mercy. Www. basilicadelamerce. com Official web of Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy
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Basilica of Saint Joseph Oriol
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The Basilica of Saint Joseph Oriol is a basilica in Barcelona, Catalonia. Construction of the began in 1915, under the architect Enric Sagnier. The church was opened in 1926 although the works of the clock tower. On 15 May 1936 it received the title of minor basilica granted by Pope Pius XI and it was the fifth church of Barcelona to receive this title. The church was burned in July 1936, and was rebuilt after the end of the Spanish Civil War, the reconstruction of the temple was slow, taking about 12 years
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Basilica of the Immaculate Conception (Barcelona)
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The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception and Assumption of Our Lady is a basilica in Barcelona, Catalonia. The church originated as the Jonqueres Monastery, that was moved stone by stone when the land of the monastery was to be demolished, in 1879, a bell tower was added from the church of San Miguel which was also going to be demolished. On 20 February 2009, Pope Benedict XVI granted the title of minor basilica to the church, ramon Corts i Blay is the current Rector of the Basilica
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Bellesguard
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Bellesguard, also known as Casa Figueres, is a modernist manor house designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí, which was constructed between 1900 and 1909. It is located at the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district of Barcelona in Catalonia, the ground on which Bellesguard stands on had been the site of a country residence belonging to Martin, king of Aragon and count of Barcelona. Gaudí was assisted by Joan Rubio whilst Domènec Sugrañes i Gras created the mosaics that adorn the house. Gaudí drew inspiration for Casa Figueras from the castle that once stood on the same site. When King Aragon died without an heir in 1410, his widow, Margaret of Prades, following her death, the castle fell into decline and was passed from hand to hand over centuries until Jaume Figueres purchased the estate in 1900. When Jaume Figueres and his wife María Sagues Molíns commissioned Gaudí for the project in 1900, all that remained of the structure were a few walls. As always, Gaudí sought to blend the construction with its natural surroundings, Gaudí designed the home in a period where he himself was still developing his unique style. Gaudí was given free rein to design and construct what was intended as a home for the Jaume family. The house changed hands for years until the Guilera family purchased the home in 1944 and has continued to own it for over 70 years. The building continued to serve medical purposes following Lluis’ death in 1969 when his son, Lluís Guilera Soler, several Barcelona citizens were born in Casa Figueres until 1974 when the site of the hospital relocated to a more accessible area better suited to medical needs. From that point on, the building has served the purpose that Gaudí always intended—a private home. For the past 30 years, the Guilera family has left the gates open permitting guests to stroll the gardens, over the years, they received countless requests from visitors to explore inside the home and enjoy Gaudí’s more modernist interior detailing. Both due to the demand from visitors as well as the family’s realization that restoration was necessary. The family officially began inviting tours in September 2013, offering access to the interior accompanied by explanations of the history, Casa Figueres is constructed mainly of stone and brick. The general structure measures a square base of 15 ×15 m and is 19.5 m high, the exterior façade is more neogothic, as Gaudí intended to pay tribute to the original medieval castle that once stood at the site. As is such, Gaudí used more straight lines, seldom seen in his usual work, the iconic tower, Torre Bellesguard, juts out from a corner of a base, adding to the vertical alignment of the structure created by the straight, vertical lines in his design. Torre Bellesguard is perhaps what the building is most recognized for, displaying Gaudí’s typical cross of four arms decorated with red and yellow mosaics to mimic the Catalan flag. At the base of the one can also see what appears to be a crown wrapped around the circumference
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Casa Bonaventura Ferrer
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Casa Bonaventura Ferrer is a building located at number 113 of Paseo de Gracia in Barcelona, Spain, and rear facade at number 6 in the Riera de Sant Miquel. It is a project of the architect Pere Falqués i Urpí following a Modernisme or Art Nouveau style, since 1979 it has been listed as an historical and artistic heritage of Barcelona. The building is best known in the city as El Palauet for its extraordinary beauty, in 2010, the building was remodeled and converted into a luxury boutique hotel under the name of El Palauet. On the facade, three vertical bodies highlights the platform with sculpture carved in stone and a big hole in their basement, the wood door and iron balconies are the croan of the baroque inspired building. It is worth highlighting the work carried out by the artists. The ceilings are decorated with spectacular polychrome floral composition decorations in high relief plaster in Modernisme or Art Nouveau style, handcrafted wooden doors and sliding doors are artistically carved with decorative cups designs. List of Modernisme buildings in Barcelona Permanyer, Lluís, un passeig per la Barcelona Modernista. Interior building pictures El Palauet hotel official web page
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Casa Calvet
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Casa Calvet is a building, designed by Antoni Gaudí for a textile manufacturer which served as both a commercial property and a residence. It is located at Carrer de Casp 48, Eixample district of Barcelona and its symmetry, balance and orderly rhythm are unusual for Gaudís works. However, the curves and double gable at the top, the oriel at the entrance— almost baroque in its drama. Bulging balconies alternate with smaller, shallower balconies, mushrooms above the oriel at the center allude to the owners favorite hobby. Columns flanking the entrance are in the form of stacked bobbins— an allusion to the business of textile manufacture. Three sculpted heads at the top also allude to the owner, One is Sant Pere Màrtir Calvet i Carbonell, between 1899 and 1906, the Arts Building Annual Award awarded modernist pieces, like the Casa Calvet, the Casa Lleó Morera and the Casa Trinxet. List of Modernisme buildings in Barcelona
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Casa Vicens
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Casa Vicens is a modernist building in Barcelona, designed by Antoni Gaudí. It is located in the neighborhood of Gràcia on Carrer de les Carolines,24 and it is considered one of the first buildings of Art Nouveau and was the first house designed by Gaudí. It helps explain the character of his work and also a new chapter in the history of modern architecture, the style of Casa Vicens is a reflection of Neo-Mudéjar architecture, one of the popular styles that can be seen throughout Gaudís architecture, including oriental and neoclassical as well. The Casa Vicens was commissioned in 1877 by Manuel Vicens i Montaner and he inherited this section of land from his mother on August 29,1877, and hired architect Antoni Gaudí for the project. Manuel then died on April 29,1895, the house was enlarged in 1925 by Joan Sierra de Martínez. This early work exhibits several influences, most notably the Moorish influence, Casa Vicens marks the first time Gaudí utilized an orientalist style, mixing together Hispano-Arabic inspiration. This was a style of architecture that completely breaks with the norm of the period, not only does this house mark Gaudís coming of age, being his first major work of architecture, but it also represents the flowering of Catalan modern architecture. The plans for construction date back to January 15,1883, Gaudí was granted a construction permit on March 8 of the same year. This is recorded in the files of Las Corts de Sarriá, the house is constructed of undressed stone, rough red bricks, and colored ceramic tiles in both checkerboard and floral patterns. At the time of construction, Gaudí was just beginning his career. Gaudí graduated from the Provincial School of Architecture in Barcelona in 1878, some characteristics of this style include the juxtaposition of geometric masses, the use of ceramic tiles, metalwork, and abstract brick ornamentation. In 1899, Casa Vicens was acquired by Dr. Antonio Jover, in 1924, Jover moved into the house. Before that, it had only used as a holiday home. During the time of his ownership the house was a building and was not open to the public. However, the one day that visitors could enter was on May 22 for Saint Ritas day. In 1925, architect Juan Sierra de Martínez added on a new bay to the rear of the building, following the style as Gaudí. He also modified the main floor entrances, with the widening of Carrer de las Carolinas, the access to the house had to be changed. The former entrance was converted into windows that open directly on to the street and these renovations were done with maximum respect for the original work, and Gaudí himself even approved these plans
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Castle of the Three Dragons
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This name was probably adopted from the 1865 novel by Serafí Pitarra. In its time it was one of the buildings of the exhibition. It was at the end of the street running from the Arc de Triomf to the Parc de la Ciutadella. Work began in September 1887, and suffered delays, and so, on April 8. For this reason Domènech i Montaner resigned as the responsible architect, at the end of exhibition, Domenech himself installed an industrial arts workshop related to architecture, with the possible collaboration of Antoni Maria Gallissà i Tighten. Later it was dedicated to museum purposes, being a museum of history, archeology, biology, during the Spanish Civil War it was closed, after suffering some damage by bombing aviation Franco. From 1942 to 1945 it was chair of Social Aid to be aimed at Museum of Zoology. In the 1980s it was restored by architects Cristian Cirici, Pep Bonet, until 2010 it hosted zoology collections of the Museum of Natural Sciences of Catalonia, when they were transferred to the Forum Building. It is built with brick and sheet iron, and is a castle-shaped building crowned with battlements, the floor is almost square, with four towers at the corners and perimeter walkways running between a double facade. It has a transparent structure of brick and iron, something similar to which appeared in the proposal by Hendrik Petrus Berlage in his project for the Amsterdam Stock Exchange. The windows, missing hand, are the work of Antoni Rigalt i Blanch
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Columbus Monument, Barcelona
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The Columbus Monument is a 60 m tall monument to Christopher Columbus at the lower end of La Rambla, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was constructed for the Exposición Universal de Barcelona in honor to Columbus first voyage to the Americas, the monument serves as a reminder that Christopher Columbus reported to Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand V in Barcelona after his first trip to the new continent. At the very top of the monument stands a 7.2 m tall bronze statue atop a 40 m tall Corinthian column. The statue was sculpted by Rafael Atché and is said to depict Columbus pointing towards the New World with his right hand, while holding a scroll in the left. It is a commonly held belief that instead of pointing to the west towards the New World and this, however, is not true, as the statue points south-southeast and in effect is pointing at a point somewhere near the city of Constantine, Algeria. To point at Genoa in northern Italy the statue would have to face east-northeast and it is more likely that the statue is situated in the current way simply to have Columbus point out to sea underscoring his achievements in naval exploration. The statue is atop a socle, on which the word Tierra is inscribed, each staircase is flanked by two lions. The idea of a monument to Columbus came in 1856 from Antoni Fages i Ferrer, who proposed that it be constructed entirely by Catalans, but he got nowhere with his plan for sixteen years. Finally in 1872 he gained the support of the mayor of the city, Francesc Rius i Taulet, a contest was held exclusively for Spanish artists to submit their designs with the winner being Gaietà Buigas i Monravà, a Catalan. Most of the money was raised, with only twelve percent being financed with public funds. All of the came from Spanish sources and the entire construction was done by Catalans. Construction began in 1882 and was completed in 1888 in time for the Exposición Universal de Barcelona, copies of the monument can be found in LArboç, Shima Spanish Village, Maspalomas, and miniature versions at the Catalunya en Miniatura park and at the Mini-Europe park
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Diagonal Zero Zero
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Diagonal ZeroZero is a skyscraper in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The building is 110 metres tall with 24 floors and it was designed by Emba Estudi Massip-Bosch arquitectes in Barcelona, founded and led by Enric Massip-Bosch. Diagonal ZeroZero hosts the headquarters in Catalonia of Telefónica Group, as well as its Research. The building is built on land owned by the City of Barcelona, was developed by the public agency Consorci de la Zona Franca, diagonal Zero Zero is an example of high-tech architecture. Its structure, calculated by the engineering firm MC2-Julio Martínez Calzón, was erected in eight months, for a few months there were over 450 workers operating simultaneously on-site. The total construction time, after a phase in which works were stopped for few months. The structure of the building is a variation of the scheme, in which the core is built in concrete. List of tallest buildings and structures in Barcelona
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Dona i Ocell
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Dona i Ocell is a 22-metre high sculpture by Joan Miró located in the Parc Joan Miró in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The sculpture was covered in tiles by the artists collaborator Joan Gardy Artigas, the sculpture is part of an artwork trilogy commissioned from Miró to welcome visitors to Barcelona. The concrete structure was opened in 1982 or 1983 and it was one of Joan Mirós last large sculptures which he constructed with the help of his friend. Miró was not able to attend the opening as he was too ill and it was Mirós design but Artigas was responsible for adding the tiles as he had done for Mirós earlier mural in Ludwigshafen, Germany. Dona i Ocell was part a publicly commissioned trilogy that was intended to welcome visitors to Barcelona as they arrived by the sea, car passengers that arrive in Barcelona can see the strong colours of the tiles which are indicative of Mirós style. This work was the last of the three sculptures that welcomed Barcelonas tourists, the first was at the airport and it was commissioned in 1968. The intermediate work was a mosaic in La Rambla in Barcelona. The work uses some of Mirós recurring themes of women and birds, in Catalan the word for a bird can be used as slang for penis. This might be reflected in the shape of the main form which has a hole through the glans. The sculpture is decorated in colours and it has a vulva shaped split down the side of the shaft which is lined with blackish tiles. The idea for the sculpture is not new and examples of placing vulva on a model penis, the park where the sculpture is installed covers four blocks of the Barcelona road grid near the Plaça dEspanya. The park is an area to relax. The park which is on one side of the road Carrer de Tarragona is also known as Parc de lEscorxador which translates as Slaughterhouse Park as this was the use for the site. The park is divided into two distinct areas, the lower area contains plants which includes flowers as well as eucalyptus, pine and palm trees. The higher area is paved and has a lake from which the sculpture rises at one corner
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Els Quatre Gats
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Els Quatre Gats is a café in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain that famously became a popular meeting place for famous artists throughout the modernist period in Catalonia. The bar closed due to difficulties in June 1903, but was reopened. Pe Romeu had the idea to open Els Quatre Gats, drawing inspiration from a French café called Le Chat Noir, Le Chat Noir translates to “The Black Cat” in English, but the name is a little different in Catalan. Els Quatre Gats means “The Four Cats, ” which is derived from a Catalan expression which means “only a few people. ”The phrase is used to describe people who are a bit strange. Romeu was taken with this Parisian café, and decided to model the décor of his café after it, Romeu was financially supported by three of his friends, Ramon Casa i Carbó, Santiago Rusiñol, and Miguel Utrillo, three major modernist Spanish artists of the time. Casas even painted something specifically for the interior of the café, his famous painting called, “Ramon Casas and Pere Romeu on a Tandem. ”The painting depicts both Casas and Romeu riding on a bike together with the Barcelona skyline visible in the background. On the right side of the painting, there is an inscription, as the original is in a museum, a copy of the painting now hangs in the café. The café opened on June 12,1897 in Casa Martí, in 1899, at 17 years old, Pablo Picasso began frequenting Els Quatre Gats, and even held his first solo exhibition in the main room. The poster that now stands on the corner of the street outside the café was designed by Picasso himself, unfortunately, Romeu was not a very savvy businessman, and would often allow his friends to order food at discounted prices, sometimes not requiring them to pay at all. Because of this, Els 4 Gats went out of business in June 1903, the legacy of the café lived on, however, thanks to the efforts of Ramon Casas and Miguel Utrillo. The two men continued to write a literary review inspired by the café for five years after the café closed, in 1978, the famous café was finally reopened to the public, and Casa Martí was restored to its former glory in 1991. The café appears to be situated in a castle, with the façade where the entrance of the café is located drawing inspiration from the European Gothic style. The overall style of the building appears more Northern European than Catalan, however, the building is decorated with the classic ornamental elements of Catalan Art-Nouveau, or Catalan modernism. These elements include the elements of the building, the stained glass windows. Unfortunately, the statue of St. Joseph is a reproduction of the original, the balconies of the building were designed in the Catalan Art-Nouveau style, a name which was given to the modernist movement within Barcelona and Catalonia itself. This type of style can also be seen depicted in the stained glass windows. The furniture of the building was funded by Ramón Casa. The building was declared an Asset of Natural Cultural Interest on the ninth of January in 1976, in 1899, a literary review of the same name as the café was published for the first time
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Fabra Observatory
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The Fabra Observatory is an astronomical observatory located in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain pointed towards the south at 415 metres above sea level. It was established in 1904 and belongs to the Royal Academy of Science and its main activity is the study of asteroids and comets. It is the fourth most ancient observatory in the world that is still functioning and it is where the comet 32P/Comas Solà was discovered by Josep Comas Solà. Ramón Jardí i Borrás Fabra Observatory Official website of Fabra Observatory Official website of the robotic Fabra-Montsec Observatory where the Baker-Nunn camera will be installed Obsfabra Asteroid
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Fossar de les Moreres
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The Fossar de les Moreres is a memorial square in Barcelona, adjacent to the basilica of Santa Maria del Mar. The plaza was built over a cemetery where defenders of the city were buried following the Siege of Barcelona at the end of the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714, in the aftermath of the War of Spanish Succession, Catalonia suffered a loss of autonomy. The subsequent royal decrees known as the Decretos de Nueva Planta abolished the furs of Catalonia as well as institutions that dated back to the time of the Crown of Aragon, at a later date the public use of the Catalan language was banned for public documents. These actions by Philip V have two interpretations, first there was an obvious desire to punish for the support that was offered to Archduke Charles. Territories in Spain that supported Philip V had a severe restriction of their historical fueros. The Decretos dealt not only with Catalonia, but also other parts of Spain. Philip V sought to regulate what had been a complex and sometimes conflicting polysynodal system of governance that characterized the first two centuries of the unified Spanish monarchy. Given this tumultuous history connected with the decrees and the war, the holiday commemorates the date on which Barcelona fell,11 September, and some Catalans yearly pay homage to the defenders of city who were killed and are buried at the memorial. History of Catalonia Decrets de Nova Planta Catalan nationalism
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Habitat Sky
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Hotel Melia Barcelona Sky is a skyscraper designed by Dominique Perrault located in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The building is 116 metres tall and has 31 floors and 258 rooms and it is the fifth-tallest building in Barcelona after Torre Mapfre, Hotel Arts, Torre La Sagrera and Torre Agbar. The building is located at the junction of Avinguda Diagonal and carrer de Pere IV, list of tallest buildings and structures in Barcelona Official page of Group Habitat
