 |
Barcelona: Jewel of Spain The adjective “marvelous” has been applied to Barcelona several times by authors researching its artistic and cultural background. What makes or defines this city as “marvelous”? There are many elements that contribute to the sense of wonder that the visitor gets when exploring Barcelona’s historical and contemporary artistic and cultural heritage. The most outstanding fact is the contrast between tradition and avant-garde. This contrast becomes more surprising as the visitor realizes that Barcelona’s modern artistic expressions are often re-creations or assimilations of the Catalan past projected into the present. The Gothic Quarter, characterized by narrow streets and historic buildings, also houses modern art galleries and ultra-cool bars, all benefiting from the combination of antiquity and modernity. A few blocks from the Gothic section of the city the visitor finds astonishing Modernist (Catalan Art Nouveau) buildings. Covered with colorful mayólicas, these houses, located along the Passeig de Gracia, reflect the changing sunlight and, most importantly, are testimony to the incredible creativity of late 19th and early 20th century Catalan architects. Perhaps the best example of history mingling with modernity is Montjuic; a hill with a vast cultural and recreational center on top. Here the traveler can visit the Museum of National Art of Catalonia that houses a large collection of Romanesque and Gothic frescoes and altar-pieces. Steps away from the museum is the sports and concert hall, Palace Saint Jordi, designed and constructed by the Japanese architect, Arata Isozaki in 1992 for the Olympic Games. In this building, high-tech and local materials combine to create a naturally lit building with a net-like metal frame. Barcelona is an intense and lively city where dining out and “ir de copas” (going for drinks) is a deeply rooted local custom. Throughout the city the visitor has a dazzling variety of restaurants offering traditional Catalan cuisine: tapas, embutidos and fresh seafood prepared with local ingredients. Its thriving and exciting nightlife, with a variety of music bars, theaters and concert halls are the perfect complement to a night out. I personally want to invite you to join me and my team on our trip to Barcelona, a truly Mediterranean marvel. Together we will explore and study the rich cultural and artistic heritage of a city and a region that has produced artists such as Antoni Gaudí, Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró, and Antoni Tapies, among others. To our historic and cultural journey from Romanesque to Contemporary art, we will add the excitement of enjoying the worldly pleasures Barcelona offers. Beyond my appreciation for and expertise in Spanish art, Barcelona has a special appeal to me since it is my parents’ homeland. I have been immersed in its culture, learned its language and traditions, tasted its flavors and experienced the excitement of the city from an early age. Because of my Catalan heritage, I can guarantee you that Barcelona is a unique place worth studying and experiencing. How can we describe a city overlooking the Mediterranean, with a gentle climate, friendly people proud of their city, and a long tradition of trade, design, fashion, gastronomy, music, and theater? Whether we call it “marvelous,” “wonderful,” or “unique,” the city deserves its reputation. Once again, I extend to you my invitation to this exciting trip and I welcome you in advance: Benvinguts! Maria
E. Soldevila BARCELONA: JEWEL OF SPAIN Day 1: Meeting at the hotel Morning:
Free Afternoon: Montcada Street (Carrer Montcada)/ Picasso Museum. The Carrer Montcada was constructed before the 12th century outside the city walls. When the Catalan-Aragonese realm expanded in the Middle Ages, the eastern side of the city became more important and was enclosed by a wall in the 14th century. The Carrer Montcada was the link between the harbor and the trading neighborhood; therefore, it attracted both nobility and merchants who built palatial villas there. During the next three centuries, it evolved into the fine residential street that we see today. The Picasso Museum is one of the most visited museums in Barcelona. The collection of Picasso’s work is particularly strong in his early period, with some of his schoolbook sketches on display, and works from his early days in Barcelona and Paris. The focus of the exhibit is the series Las Meninas (a visual study by Picasso of Velázquez’s famous painting). The palaces of Castellet and Berenguer d’Aguilar, designed in late Gothic style, house the collection, proving once more that in Barcelona tradition and avant-garde go hand in hand. Day 2: Morning:
Gothic Quarter/ Cathedral Morning: Gothic Quarter/ Cathedral. La Seu Cathedral dates from 1298 and is dedicated to Santa Eulália, patron Saint of Barcelona. The alabaster sarcophagus containing her remains and the monumental canonical choir in the central nave are focal points of interest and devotion. Afternoon: Museum of the History of the City (Museu d’ Historia de la Ciutad). Private Tour. This museum is located in a XV century gothic building and it offers two itineraries. The first tour takes the visitor through the excavations of the old Visigoth and Roman settlements. Few cities in the world offer such an exclusive subterranean walk through old Roman streets. The second itinerary is a visit to the old Royal Palace (Palau Reial Major). Former residence of the Counts of Barcelona and the Kings of Aragon, it was originally built between the XI and XII century, across from the Roman walls. Within the building the Salon Tinell, added during the second half of the XIV century, is of special interest since it is the room where the Catholic monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, welcomed Christopher Columbus after he returned from discovering America. The Chapel of Santa Agata houses the Retablo de Condestable (altarpiece), a superb example of Catalan painting. The church also has a tower that allows a wonderful overview of this old section of Barcelona. Day 3: Morning:
Montjuic/ National Museum of Art of Catalonia (Museu Nacional d’Art
de Catalunya). Private Tour of Romanesque and Gothic Collection. Morning: Montjuic/ National Museum of Art of Catalonia (Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya). Private Tour. The Museum of Art of Catalonia has one of the most beautiful and largest collections of Romanesque and Gothic art in Europe. The Romanesque frescoes have been transferred from old churches in the country to the museum in an attempt to protect Catalan cultural heritage. The museum opened in 1934 at the National Palace in Montjuic (Palau Nacional) which had been built for the 1929 International Exposition. Day 4: Morning
: Palace of Catalan Music (Palau de La Música Catalana).
Guided Tour. Morning:
Palace of Catalan Music (Palau de La Música Catalana). Guided
Tour. Early
Afternoon: De Gracia Boulevard (Passeig de Gracia). Casa Milá/
Casa Batlló. Casa Milá or La Pedrera is located just three blocks away on the Passeig de Gracia. The house is known as La Pedrera (The Quarry) because of its undulating eroded rock frontage. The roof terrace landscape features chimneys resembling knights in futuristic armor and snail-like ventilation shafts covered in mosaic fragments. Day 5: Morning:
Expiatory Temple of the Sacred Family (Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada
Familia). Guided Tour. Morning: Expiatory Temple of the Sacred Family (Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia). Guided Tour. Gaudí’s enormous temple is the premier tourist attraction in Barcelona. The unusual name responds to the idea of a religious building that would serve as “temple of atonement” for the excesses of the time. It was a memorial commissioned by the National Conservative Brotherhood of St. Joseph, a religious order which advocated the return to the forms of society of the Middle Ages. The construction of the temple began in 1882 following a Neo-Gothic design. When Gaudí took over the design of the building, he no longer regarded this style as valid and took a more general, international concept as his model. Gaudí came up with architectural innovations using a new structural system. Despite the novelty of the structure, the form of the Sagrada Familia was determined by its symbolic content. It is a manifesto in stone of the Christian faith. Gaudí’s biblical scenes are enlivened by animals and plants so that the entire portal grows upward like a kind of spring-like forest in paradise. The fauna is completed by snails and tortoises which support some of the columns of the façade. The construction of this gigantic temple is an ongoing project. In September, 2003, a report published by the architect in charge of the construction predicted that the temple would be completed in 19 years. Day 6: Hotel Check-out. End of tour.
|
|
