If you want to feel the true spirit of Barcelona, ​​to see its very heart, then it’s worth visiting a real gallery of architectural monuments.

The entrance to the quarter is located on the square Catalonia, the block runs through La Rambla and reaches Via Laetan.

The development of the Gothic Quarter, as in most medieval cities, was carried out chaotically, which made it possible to make the cities impregnable to the enemy, but one could get lost on the crooked, winding streets.

Now this does not threaten visitors: the entry of vehicles into the quarter is strictly limited or completely prohibited, and signs, and just passers-by, local residents, will always tell you the right way.

Most of the buildings on the streets of the Gothic Quarter date back to the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, although there are both early ones, dating back to the Roman period, and later ones, dating back to times close to modern times.

With my heart Barry Gothic, as the quarter is otherwise called, is undoubtedly Barcelona Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulapia.

History tells us about the patroness of Barcelona - Saint Eulapia, who was only thirteen years old when she died at the hands of the pagans. In one of the chapels of this cathedral with an impressive Gothic facade, thirteen white geese live - according to the number of years the great martyr lived.

Each building in the Gothic Quarter has its own ancient, unique history.

It will take a lot of time to get to know them all, but even with a quick inspection, the quarter leaves an unforgettable impression. This is an untouched piece of history, miraculously preserved in the center of a modern city.

Barcelona has many buildings dating back to the Gothic period, but in the quarter they all stand in amazing harmony and create a wonderful composition, the likes of which cannot be seen in any other European city.

In the Gothic Quarter, you should definitely visit the Royal Palace, the House of Canons, the Archdeacon's House, the Basilica of La Merce, walk along the Royal Square and the Square of St. James, and go to the Church of Santa Maria del Pi.

Many talented and famous people had a hand in creating the Gothic Quarter, as it is now presented to us. Among them are Pablo Picasso, Frederic Mares, Louis Homes, Antonio Gaudi, Josep Puig i Cadafalch.

Royal Palace Palau Real Major Built in Romanesque and Gothic styles in the 11th century by King Pedro the pompous. And from the 13th to the 15th century, here was the residence of the Counts of Barcelona, ​​and later the Kings of Aragon.

In the throne room, stunning in its size, King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella received Christopher Columbus, who returned from his voyage “to India.” Meetings of the Tribunals of the Holy Inquisition were also held here.

To the architectural complex Placa del Rei, which includes the Royal Palace, also includes a watchtower built by King Marti in 1555. and the 14th-century Chapel of St Agatha, standing on the remains of an ancient Roman wall, famous for another of the masterpieces of medieval Gothic art - the Constable altarpiece.

The most beautiful medieval building of the 11th century, the Canon's House stands on the only ancient Roman foundation that survived after multiple reconstructions.

It was built as an almshouse with free meals for the poor, but in 1450. handed over to the clergyman of the city cathedral.

One of the facades of the building faces the Carrer Paradis street, at the end of which, inside a small medieval courtyard, rise four columns of the Corinthian order, which once belonged to the Temple of Augustus, built around the 1st century BC.

Another famous building of Plaza Nova is Casa de l'Ardiaca- home of Archdeacon Louis Desplat. The ancient Roman wall became its rear facade, and one of the Roman towers is included in the Casa del Ardiaca.

The construction of the building dates back to the beginning of the second millennium, was rebuilt many times in different styles and now includes both Gothic and Renaissance elements.

The interior patio with fountain and upper terrace, built in the 14th century, is especially renaissance. And in 1895 At the request of the Bar Association, located at that time in the Casa de l’Ardiaca, a mailbox in modernist style was added to the main façade. It depicts three swallows and a turtle, a symbol of bureaucracy and delays, as symbols of the independence of justice. Now this building houses the city archive.

The ensemble of the central square of the Gothic Quarter Plaza San Jaime considered the best preserved medieval part.

Square Sant Jaume is located on the site where the two main roads of the Roman settlement of Barsino used to intersect.

The Plaza de San Jaime houses the Catalan government building. Opposite it is the Town Hall, with its neoclassical façade, where Barcelona City Hall operates.

Here on the ground floor in the tourist information office you can get a free map of the city or get information on an issue of interest.

You can visit the Generalitat Palace and admire its interiors in the morning on the second and fourth entrance days of each month and on September 11 or 24, as well as April 23.

Pay attention to the medieval chapel of Sant Jordi, the bell tower built in the 16th century and the cute Orange Courtyard.

Opening hours

• You can visit the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulapia on weekdays from 8.00 to 12.45, and in the evening from 17.15 to 19.30 local time. On weekends, the Cathedral is open from 8.00 to 13.45 and from 17.15 to 20.00.
• The outside of the Cathedral can be viewed for free at any time of the day.
• The Royal Palace's opening hours are Monday to Saturday from 10.00 to 14.00, and in the evening from 16.00 to 20.00. On Sunday the Palace is open from 10.00 to 15.00.
• You can get inside Barcelona City Hall any Sunday from 10.00 to 13.00

You can get to the Cathedral by metro (line 4).

The Gothic Quarter in Barcelona began to be called so relatively recently due to the fact that it contains many buildings made in the Gothic style. This quarter is difficult to pass without attention; for many tourists it is of interest. It is located in the center between Laietana Street and Rambla, there is a multiple concentration of the city's attractions and cozy restaurants and cafes.

History of creation

Before our era, on the site of this quarter there was one of the Roman cities, which was surrounded by high walls to strengthen its positions. Then all the buildings characteristic of the Romans were built in it: aqueducts, baths, churches and a forum. When in the fifth century A.D. The lands were captured by the Visigones, they destroyed most of the buildings and in their place they created their own temples and majestic palaces, but they have not survived to this day.

Interesting and unusual buildings on this block appeared in the 14th century; during the Renaissance, no construction activities were carried out, which saved the already constructed buildings from destruction and new developments. Thanks to this, you can now appreciate the majestic buildings in the gloomy Gothic style.

Main tourist points

The Gothic Quarter is bounded by Plaza Catalunya, Avenida Columba and Via Laietana and Rambla. On its northern side is the favorite place of the famous Pablo Picasso, the “4 Cats” cafe. It appeared in the quarter in the 19th century, and was built by analogy with the Parisian cabaret “Black Cat”.

Plaza Nova

We can consider that the Gothic Quarter begins with it. The New Square was created in 1355 on the site of the city gate. Despite its name, this is the oldest square in the city; slaves were traded there at one time. Previously, there were fortress walls next to it; they were destroyed long ago, but their remains in the form of two towers can be seen not far from Placa Nova.

On the square you can look at the Bishop's Palace, made in the Baroque style, the facade of which is impressive.

Its presence seems to act as a contrast to the more modern building of the College of Architects. The last building is notable for its large friezes, which were created by Picasso himself, but were brought to life by the Norwegian architect Karl Nesjar. The college was built in 1961.

The square is separated from the Cathedral by the Archdeacon's House; one of its walls contains a fragment of a previously demolished fortress wall. In the 12th century, this building served as the residence of the entire church elite. The building was repeatedly reconstructed; its renovation work was carried out in the 16th and 19th centuries; during the last alteration, the house was connected to the building adjacent to it. Because of this, a mixture of styles can now be observed in one united building; there are elements of Art Nouveau, Renaissance and Gothic architecture. The building is now used as a storage facility for the city archives.

The central street of the Gothic quarter is Episcopal Street, which has a bridge that connects the House of Canons with the Government Palace. It was created by Joan Rubio and is generally considered to be the highlight of the Gothic area.

The House of Canons is unlike any other building due to its unique and unusual layout. It was erected in the 15th century; recent restoration helped restore fragments of the interior destroyed over time. One side of the structure is directed towards Carrer Paradis. On this same side are the ruins of an old Roman temple, which was previously erected in honor of Augustus.

This square has become the hallmark of the Gothic Quarter; it is the most popular and is visited by many tourists every day. Many historical events previously took place there, and bright representatives of the Gothic style are gathered here. In 1493, the rulers Fernando and Isabella met Columbus, who returned from his first voyage.

It occupies a special place in the Gothic quarter, so important that the quarter itself is sometimes called “Cathedral” - this is its second, not the main name. The cathedral building is impressive in its architecture; a huge stone structure is literally squeezed into a narrow space. The initial stage of its construction occurred in the 13th century, but then its construction lasted for several centuries. The façade of the cathedral was finally completed only in the 19th century. The cathedral building was erected in honor of Eupalia, who was elevated to the rank of saint in the 4th century, since a young girl of 13 years old was executed by pagans for her Christian faith. In the chapel at the cathedral, 13 white geese constantly live, which symbolize the martyr’s purity and purity.

The building itself amazes with its power, its Gothic-style towers go high into the sky, there are numerous arches on the facade, and the walls are decorated with openwork ornaments.

Read more about the Cathedral.

It contains a whole milestone of history; earlier, back in the 13th century, the Jewish community occupying these lands was considered the richest, it lived according to its own laws and flourished. But after the expulsion of all representatives of this people, led by Moses, everything became not so beautiful and fell into decay. But even now you can feel the spirit of yesteryear, getting lost in the narrow and intricate streets of this quarter and feeling the medieval atmosphere, as well as seeing some remnants of the former dawn of this area.

Now here you can meet street virtuosos and musical actors, as well as visit numerous shops and antique shops.

Plaza Sant Jaume

This central location in the Gothic Quarter is located at the intersection of the main streets of Barsino, it was created on the site of a former Roman forum. Square of St. Jacob is decorated with the city hall, as well as the Government House, near which there is a cozy courtyard with orange trees.

At this place, unusual competitions are held for the construction of castells - towers made of people. On Sundays, everyone here can learn to dance the national dance - sardana.

He occupied the House of Clariana-Padeyas, this mansion was erected in the 15th century. The museum occupies 4 thousand m2, right under the square you can get acquainted with exhibits of the history of the 1st century AD and trace the development of Barcelona until the 17th century.

It is located behind thick walls and has many courtyards. Some of them are difficult to detect if you don’t know exactly where they should be. Behind the glass display cases and cabinets are stored amazing artifacts in the form of ancient dishes, fragments of historical buildings, their interiors and decorations.

The palace has a Throne Room and serves as an excellent showcase for the study of late 14th century Catalan Gothic. From here you can climb up to the observation tower, which will offer an excellent view of the ruins of Roman buildings and the Royal Chapel, built as a tribute to St. Agatha.

Mares Museum

It is often called "Sentimental", as most of its exhibits are sculptures from the ancient Roman era, dating back to the 20th century.

How to get to the Gothic Quarter?

It is located in the very center of the city, many roads lead to it, there is both overground and underground transport, and you can also walk to it if you have a lot of free time. You can get there in the following ways:

• by tourist bus, which runs on the red route, you need to get off at the “Barri Gotic” stop;
• You can get to the same stop by city bus by taking routes No. 59, 45, 40, 19, 17 and 14;
• By metro, you need to take line L3 and get off at Liceu or Drassanes stations, and if you take line L4, you must not miss the Jaume I station.

If you want to take a stroll through the Gothic Quarter, then plan ahead and allow as much time as possible.

Gothic impresses everyone with its majesty on the one hand, and its massiveness and darkness on the other. But the Gothic quarter is notable for the fact that in it you can see not only this style, but also more modern ones, which allows you to significantly expand your horizons and thoroughly study architecture in one area. There is also an opportunity to visit cozy cafes with local cuisine, as well as buy souvenirs and please children with interesting and new toys. Watch street animators and listen to their fellow musicians, and if you wish, learn a traditional dance.