El Born Market

The El Born Market (Mercat del Born) is a former market located in the El Born region in Barcelona.  The market opened in 1878 and closed in 1971.  In 2002, the market was about to be remolded into a library when midevil ruins were discovered from the La Ribiera district that was destroyed during the Spanish War of Succession. The museum now covers the ruins and the former market is also used as a cultural site.

The entrance to El Mercat Del Born

 

Interior of the market, showing the ruins of the city destroyed during the Spanish War of Succession

Field Study Trip to Raval. Alternative Urban Spaces.

Public Spaces vs Private spaces in Barcelona promoting urban model Barcelona and its cultural implications from 80’s to 2000.

1.   Describe the spaces for public use in Raval area. People, public spaces, stores and private areas.

There are many tattoo and piercing shops, low-cost supermarkets, bars, small restaurants, clothing and design stores.  The area is mostly filled with locals even though it is right off of the Ramblas.  The Raval has kept its authentic feeling as protests stopped contractors from tearing down the Raval.  Public spaces are well kept and clean.  It is now cleaner than it was during the 80’s and 90's when these areas were primarily filled with drug dealers and prostitutes.  In the large public areas near the modern art museum, there are many skateboarders and bikers.  The space in front of the museum is largely empty other than the many skaters. 

2. Where is Raval placed in the city map? The most expensive area of the core of Barcelona for public use. Explain it with words and images.

            The Raval is off of the Ramblas, on the opposite side of the Gothic district.  One of the areas              is the most expensive area of the core for public use.  It is expansive and used for many                      municipal activities.

One of the areas of public use in El Raval.  It is popular with skaters and in front of the museum of contemporary art

An open square in El Raval

3. Make a list of public buildings and explain its uses. What kind of people are the targets of these buildings? Why youth were attracted to this area?

            Churches and convents have been converted to offices and museums open to the public.                     One old monastery has been converted into a government building.  They are trying                            to attract young people to this area.  Youth are attracted by the empty spaces of the Raval                  and the ability to skate and act like themselves devoid of masses of tourists.

4. What signs can you see in this neighborhood that explains its nature (stores, bars, public buildings, street art, etc…)? Take photos of 5 examples that justify your answer and show symbols of alternative sports and culture in the area.

A sign calling a gathering of individuals in Plaza Universitat.

Inspirational sign, calling for cooperation among individuals.

One of the many small shops in the Raval.  

Call to a protest on Thursday about transportation in Barcelona.

Skateboarders in El Raval

Another sign in the Raval.  This is a picture of a street sign
and picture outside a store front.

5. Conclusions: Why do you think the area of Raval district of Barcelona has become one of culture in Europe during that period? Why do you think this space have determined people’s action?

The Raval district of Barcelona has been devoid of tourism and massive changes over the last twenty years.  It is a taste of authentic Barcelona in a city where there were a lot of changes in preparation for the Olympics.  Dedication to the Raval has spurred much action by its citizens to stop renovations and redevelopment.  The citizens feel that the Raval is good enough as it is and it does not need to be changed.  If it is developed and renovated, it can become a major tourist destination, something that the citizens are trying to avoid.  

Catalan Cultural Activites

Catalan Cultural Experiences

I have tried to get in as many cultural activities as possible during my stay in Barcelona.  Here is a list of some of the few experiences I've had in Catalunia. I took all of these pictures.

Museo Nacional d'Arte Catalunia

Park Guell

Sagrada Familia

Palau Guell

Tibidabo

Camp Nou

Montserrat

La Pedrera

Ciutatdella Park

Delta Del Ebre

Calsotts

Paella

Barceloneta Beach

Various bars and restaurants

Santa Maria Del Mar/Pi

Barcelona Cathedral

El Born Market (field study)

El Raval

Picasso Museum

Catalan news!

International News

http://www.lavanguardia.com/deportes/futbol/20140304/54402011501/carles-puyol-deja-barsa.html

This article from LaVanguardia announces that Barcelona's famous defender Carles Puyol has announced his retirement from football after the end of the season.  Puyol is one of the longest serving Barcelona players and is emblematic of the team and Barcelona as a whole.  Having never played for another football club, Puyol told reporters that due to his recurring and debilitating injuries that he can no longer play at the level Barcelona requires.  Puyol claims that his body is not allowing him to play at the high standards that he demands from himself.  Since joining the team in 1999, Puyol and Barcelona have won twenty-one titles.  As a stalwart in defense, Puyol made his name as a no-nonsense defender.  He was the Barcelona captain and truly a symbol of Barcelona and Catalonia as a whole.

National News

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303636404579395270291392630

(Pictured at left is the Spanish Parliament)

This article from the Wall Street Journal discusses how Spain's Parliament responded to Catalonia's plan to hold a referendum on independence.  The motion was categorically rejected.  However there was a silver lining to the decision.  Although Catalonia's "right to decide" was firmly rejected, it shows that the Catalonia government is "moving to its own rhythm."  According to the article, Robert Tornabell, an economist at Barcelona's ESADE Business School, shows that the referendum is a step in the right direction for Catalonia to form an independent nation.  The article continues to point out that the main concern of Catalonia citizens and the main reason to desire independence is the very high taxes levied by the Spanish government.

LOCAL NEWS

http://videos.lavanguardia.com/deportes/20140309/54402927414/barcelona-inaugura-gigantesco-skatepark.html
This video from LaVanguardia talks about a large, new skate park that has been constructed in Mar Bella in Sant Marti.  Before the skate park was built there was nothing substantial occupying the space.  The park can be used for bikes, skateboards, scooters and roller blades.  It has generally been very well received, especially among skaters and those utilizing the park. There are different kinds of slopes and angles to get the most of skating and biking. Skateboarding is one of the most popular sports in Barcelona after Football.  The establishment of a park will be very good for skaters and keep them away from buildings and stairs where they are sometimes not very well received.   

Catalan symbols!

Catalan Symbols

These photos below are representative of Barcelona and Catalonia:

These two pictures below of Barcelona's Camp Nou are emblematic that the FC Barcelona stands for more than a club.  Indeed when FC Barcelona plays Real Madrid the soccer is not the most important part.  What it is really representing is the fierce rivalry between Catalonia and Madrid.  It seems that it is indeed more political and economical motivated than sport related.

These two photos below are of Montserrat, to many a very important religious destination in Catalonia.  Montserrat is best known for the Benedictine Abbey and Santa Maria de Montserrat.  There is often a choir of boy singers that preform in the church.  To some, Montserrat is the location of the Holy Grail, at least according to Arthurian myth.

 Barcelona Cathedral, built between the 13th and 15th centuries, is the seat of the Archbishop of Barcelona.  The beautifully designed cathedral, built in the Gothic style with many gargoyles overhanging the roof, is one of the focal points of the Gothic region of Barcelona.  Interior views are stunning.  

 Park Guell, designed by Antoni Gaudi between 1900 and 1914, is representative of the brilliance of Gaudi.  The park brings calm and serenity to the mind and is emblematic of the unique architecture of Catalonia.  The mosaic salamander stands at the front entrance of the park and is beautifully designed.  The park offers brilliant views of Barcelona.

 The Barcelona beach, built only twenty years ago, is a unique symbol of Barcelona because it is a beautiful beach situated right on the coast of a huge city.  With almost three miles of coastline, the beach is heavily populated during Spring and Summer and is one of the symbols of the city.

(I took all these pictures myself)

La Ribera Quarter Field Study

La Ribera Quarter Field Study

1.       Make a list of five streets dedicated to craftsmanship or trades and describe them. What were “Els Gremis” (guilds)?

1) The Carrer de Corders was a street made up of rope makers.

2) The Carrer de Semolers was a street of wheat makers. 

3) The Carrer dels Contoners was a street of cotton makers

4) The Carrer dels Mirallers was a street of mirror manufacturers.

5) The Carrer de les Canadles was a street of candle manufactures.

“Els Gremis” translates to guilds in English.  Streets were named after the profession that was housed there.  Almost everyone was involved in guilds.  Children inherited the job of their father after training for several years and passing a mandatory exam.

2. “La casa-taller” (The house-workshop) was the typical craftsmanship family house. The same place to live and work. Describe how spaces were organized in a “Casa-taller”.

The workers of the guild tended to live right above their workshop, a building of a couple floors.  The workshop was at street level.  Large windows allowed people to view right into the workshop.  The door to the apartments was next to the workshops.  The principal floor was the owner’s.  It was the biggest and more comfortable.  The other floors were less comfortable and were reserved for the workers.

3. Observing the buildings of this area of Barcelona, mention some of the main architectural aspects that distinguish the craftsman work buildings to the industrial production ones. For example, materials, spaces or structures of the buildings and streets.

Different materials were used in the construction of craftsman buildings versus the standard industrial production ones.  Craftsmen buildings tended to be stone.  Buildings from the industrial revolution used iron, an easier building material than stone.  It also looks quite different from stone so it is easy to differentiate between older and newer buildings.

4. Find the cultural relation of this five places cited bellow to Catalan culture. Take on account the different historical periods in each case.

            Santa María del Mar

The Santa Maria Del Mar is a Catalan church that took roughly 45 years to build.  It is a great example of Catalan Gothic architecture, a style unusual in large buildings like this church. This church was built in the middle ages by the very people that worshiped in it. It was built during the height of maritime and mercantile preeminence. Located in the Ribera district, the church was consecrated in August 1384.  The interior of the church gives an impression of light and spaciousness.  Interior is almost devoid of imagery found in most other churches.

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      El Mercat del Born

El Mercat del Born is significant to Catalan culture because it is one of the first buildings that was built with iron instead of stone thus demonstrating Barcelona’s shift to the industrial age.  Located in the Ribiera district, it is the largest covered square in all of Europe and marked the start of modernism in Catalan architecture.

 El Fossà de les Moreres

               El Fossa de les Moreres is a memorial built over a cemetery commemorating those who died during the Siege of Barcelona of 1714.  There is an eternal flame representing those who died fighting for Barcelona.  The memorial is built over the original cemetery of those who died. 

La Ciutadella Park (The Fortress of Philip V by 1714)

                La Ciutadella Park was for many years the only green area in the city.  The fortress of Philip V was a castle to keep control of the city and to quell rebellions form the Catalans. It was torn down because Catalans hated it in 1841. A big tourist destination, the main attraction for years has been the zoo.  There is a lake in the park and a museum of zoology and geology.

5. After September 11^th 1714 the decrees of Nova Planta were proclaimed in Catalonia by Philip V. Mention the main changes in Catalan society doing a little research after the Field study.

              The decrees of Nueva Planta, banned almost everything in the crown of Aragon including everything Catalan.  All cultural, politics, language, and Catalan traditions were banned by King Phillip V.  Castilian traditions replaced everything Catalan, with central direction coming from the king thereby creating a single cultured nationalized country. The decrees signed between 1707 and 1716 by Phillip 5, effectively created a Spanish identity that did not distinguish between Castilian and Aragonese anymore. 

6. What is El Consolat de Mar?

        El Consolat de Mar (meaning the Consulate of the Sea in English) was a judicial body that was from Aragon and later spread to the Mediterranean area to enforce maritime and commercial law.  This Catalan term now refers to commercial arbitration and trade-promotion offices owned by Barcelona.

Museu d’Història de la Ciutat

Working in the Field – Museu d’Història de la Ciutat

Take your Camera - This assignment is about finding similarities or roots in Catalan Culture related to Antich Roman Influence. Don’t forget this is a work to be included as one of your journal entries.

1. Take five pictures of Roman Monumental influence and its engineering capacity in Barcelona: Walls, Towers, sewer system, public baths, streets. Write your comments on comparisons with today Catalan buildings.

The Barri Gotic area of Barcelona is beautiful and unique in its Roman influence.  The streets are quite narrow and all the buildings are made out of stone.  The Roman engineering is remarkable.  The notion of a sewer system, public baths, walls and towers represented quite advanced engineering for the time.  The Barri Gotic represents a fundamental difference from today’s “average” Catalan building.  An average building tends to have a colorful façade with apartments with many windows above the storefront standing at street level. The streets are less narrow and did not tend to open up into public squares. The Roman buildings tend to be all stone.  Alleyways in the Barri Gotic area are much narrower than those of the normal Catalan street and many streets lead to a public square.

2. Find 3 images of Roman Religious artifacts. Religious life: From Polytheism to Monotheism. How can you explain the change and its cultural meaning.

The change from Polytheism to Monotheism was very important.  It was the transition from the Roman idea of worship of many gods, representing many different values and objects, such as Bacchus, god of wine and Diana, the goddess of the hunt, to one all-encompassing god.  This was a big cultural shift and the change brought about many challenges in the faith. The emphasis on wine in religious ceremonies is partially associated with the paganism of the Romans. Christianity took over as the main monotheistic religion and has been like that ever since. 

3. Take five pictures on construction similarities and find some Catalan buildings with roman Catalan decorative arts today. Architecture: houses in roman times and today (Domus Romana). Write a paragraph on its similarities. Can we find similarities too with American architecture? Why?

Column’s represented Roman art and architecture.  Houses tend to center around a central open-air square where people can relax and enjoy the sunlight.  While walking around the Barri Gothic region of Barcelona I found that the Roman influence is large.  Many times walking through the halls of a building you would stumble out to a central square that opened up to the sky.  The Domus Romana also tended to have separate areas for kitchen and bath, much like the houses of today. It seems like the Roman Domus Romana really set the stage for what a modern house is in Catolonia, at least in the Barri Gotic area. 

The same goes for America.  Although less common, I have seen houses with a central courtyard just like the Domus Romana.  There is clearly some kind of influence that carried over to America. Columns also play a role in the architecture of the federal buildings in Washington DC. 

4. Domestic objects: make a list and compare some of antique Roman habits through artifacts found on the museum. Explain your opinion and tell which one surprised you and why. 

1) Toilets situated right next to each other. 2) Collective bath houses. 3) Explicit artwork (including genitalia).

Looking through the many photos I took, one of the most surprising habits to me was the design and explicitness of the Roman art.  They were not afraid to show and sculpt genitalia. This is surprising to me because we now live in a culture where exposing yourself is highly frowned upon.  However to the Romans, painting genitalia was the best way to express the human body in its purest form.  However just my surprise at the directness and lack of subtly of the art really surprised me and stuck out to me more than anything else in the museum.

5. Images and Gods related to Food and Wine. How did Romans left Wine Culture in Catalunya and how is today? Can you imagine how wine was transferred to Christian Religion? Write about Wine Culture today in Catalunya finding at least 2 examples of Wine brands popular today.

The Romans left a large influence on wine culture in Catalunya.  They established the methods and style of the wine in Catalunia, mostly centered around Tarragona.  They increased the number and variety of grapes that were grown.  However, wine production nearly stopped once Roman rule fell around the 4^th century.  Currently, Catalonia is one of the leading wine producers of Spain.  It had embraced the use of modern technology in the wine and has increased the quality and variety of the offerings.  This incorporation of technology has differentiated Catalan wine from other Spanish wineries, some of which do not include the use of technology in there wine.  

Two large wine brands that are popular today include Penedes and Gramona.  Both wineries sit on vast land and produce their own wine with their own distinctive styles. The wine produced in Catalonia was very important for Christianity. In the 1960s Tarragona started to focus on producing wine for the church.  Production of wine to be used for Communion became commonplace.  Tarragona also started to produce dry white wines.