THE GÒTIC
Text and photos by Georgina Castillo

Yesterday
The colloquial name for this quarter is, though not very precise (there are Roman, Romanic and Renaissance elements mixed with those which are truly Gothic), a living proof that it has a historical significance which everybody can recognise at first sight. Indeed, it is the oldest nucleus in Barcelona. Here, at the highest spot of Mons Taber, there used to be the Iberian village, which was replaced by the Roman camp. Its main streets, Cardus and Decumanus, intersected where Plaça St. Jaume is located nowadays.

This "stone" hoard is but fortuitous. To provide the quarter with its monumental and historical touch, the contribution of several architects (of our century!) has been necessary, the most scandalous case of which are the Cathedral’s façade and dome, built between the end of the XIX century and the beginning of the XX by Josep Oriol Mestres and August Font. Another example: the Neo-Gothic bridge at "Bisbe" street dates from 1928. Ironies of history and tourism.

Today
The Gothic quarter is an island with several relevant points:

Sant Jaume square, crucial enclave to all citizens of Barcelona, which is not mainly because it houses The Ajuntament (the city council) and the Generalitat (the local government) (two of the most representative buildings of Catalan and urban politics), but because it is the place where common people receive their heroes (footballers, who else could it be?) and make the president bounce.

Plaça Reial and its surroundings, are scattered with urine puddles that Never get dry. A woman asks me for a square where one can drink beer. I send her straight to Plaça Reial.

Porta Ferrissa, where anything "buyable" and "sellable" can be found, preceded by Portal de l’Àngel (that meets Plaça Catalunya), which, according to Josep Maria Espinàs (a travel book writer) is "the big entrance funnel to old Barcelona".

Plaça del Rei is a captivating place because of the distribution of its buildings and of the ashen colour that makes our retina forget about the aggressive and lurid colours of the coming fashion. Here is where we can find Santa Agatha’s Gothic Chapel (to the right), the Palau Reial Major (at the bottom), which houses the famous Tinell lounge, and the Torre-Mirador del rei Martí (King Martin’s bay window tower), which offers a magnificent view of the medieval city (on the corner).


Must-sees
Taking Plaça Nova as the origin (from where the Cathedral façade can be seen), you should slope the tiny Bisbe’s street, which spans the old Roman city wall on the north-western part and, straight off, get lost. You should advance real slow, enjoy the lack of traffic lights, surrounding the Cathedral and of course, without forgetting to enter the cloister. There’s something our Roman ancestors didn’t take into account, perhaps because they couldn’t figure out that what they were building would become a main touris attraction centuries later, that is providing places for people to sit. That’s why this zone turns into a slow pace place, which people don’t stop to explore. However, there are corners where one can enjoy moments which are as long lasting as one wills; for instance, the interior garden inside the palace where the Museu Marés is located. This spots supply the lack of quiet streets, they are small oasis to stop and have a drink when you have already visited quite a few monuments.