The natural annex of La Rambla, the Plaça Reial is one of the most emblematic squares in Barcelona. Built in the mid-19th century in order to spruce up the Gothic quarter, this is a clear, clean and open space constructed amid the high density of buildings in the old town of the city.
Francesc Daniel Molina led the architectural design project, inspired by the French neo-classical squares of the 17th century. The construction began in 1848 in a space formerly occupied by a Capuchin convent. The square is surrounded by a complex of identical buildings that are raised on semi-circular arches: above the arches, two main floors are framed by a giant order of Corinthian pilasters; the 4th and top floors are recessed, forming an attic floor, and are crowned by a cornice with balustrades.
The portals and façades are decorated with Hellenic terracotta, busts of navigators, coats of arms supported by Indian children and busts of explorers of the Americas, following the neoclassical style in an age in which Spain had already lost all its continental colonies. Behind the arches are shops, situated in a space that is protected thanks to the porches with Catalan vaults.
The centre of the square is dominated by the fountain of the Three Graces, a cast iron ensemble manufactured in the workshops of Durenne in Paris, surrounded by two street lamps with 6 arms, an early work of Antoni Gaudí. In the centre of the square and dotted about irregularly, there are the emblematic palm trees of different heights. And it is these that give the Plaça Reial its characteristic appearance.
Designed originally for the bourgeoisie of the time, the Plaça Reial has been, throughout its history, one of the epicentres of the Bohemian lowlife of Barcelona.
Some experts swear that it was called Aquis Voconis. Others say that it was called
Aquae Calidae. Regardless, the fact is that the current Caldes de Malavella became an important thermal bath resort with the Romanisation in the 1st century AD. Located close to the Via Augusta, many travellers stopped here to relax and
benefit from the healing properties of the hot water (which emerges at 60 ° C). The town grew up around it.
The remains of the ancient Roman baths have been preserved as a testimony to this time, the excavation of which began in 1897-1902. The complex is composed of a central pool surrounded by rooms given over to curative treatments. There are three spaces at the back, which may have been bath tubs, where oils were applied.
The site is very
well preserved. The mechanisms that operated the water can be seen almost intact! During the excavations, objects have been found such as a dog made of bronze and coins from various periods, which can be seen in the
Museu d’Arqueologia de Catalunya-Girona (Girona branch of the Archaeology Museum of Catalonia).
The Romans soon realised the benefits of the hot water that flowed naturally into what is now Caldes de Montbui. Which is why they founded a spa resort here that, even today, remains an exceptional testament, with the
baths located right in the heart of the town. They are
the most well preserved in the Iberian Peninsula.
The restored section – where you can see a pool, 13.5 metres by 6.9 metres, made with
opus signium and covered by a vault - is just one of the wings of the large thermal bathing facilities built in the Imperial era. The town of
Aquae Calidae grew up around it (although there is controversy about whether this name refers to the current Caldes de Montbui or to
Caldes de Malavella), which was a major power in the 1st century AD. The remains of villas have also been found, dotted around the outskirts.
After the Romans, the town of Caldes went into decline, although it remained populated into the Visigothic era. Thermal bathing was brought back in the 19th century, when Caldes de Montbui became the second spa resort in Spain.
Founded in 80-70 BC on a natural promontory, ancient Iluro (modern Mataró) was one of the most important Roman cities of the time, acting as an organisational centre for an extensive territory (almost the entire region of Maresme). Today, the majority of archaeological remains are preserved under the historic centre of Mataró and make up one of the most important Roman archaeological sites in Catalonia.
The main documented remains of this city, which eventually extended over 6 hectares, include sections of the wall and parts of the forum, several public buildings, urban and suburban necropolises, streets, houses, a large cistern, the market, and sewers and conduits of this city which went on to have 6 hectares of extension. A small part of these ruins can currently be seen today at ground level, within different buildings and squares.
The importance of ancient Iluro is reflected in the presence of such prominent public buildings and in the fact of having a complex defensive system that was used until the 5th century AD. During the time of Emperor Augustus the city experienced its moment of splendour and obtained the legal status of municipum. The various domus of the city are also testament to this prosperous past: of these, the Villa of the Capuchins, Villa of the Dolphins and, in particular, the Lauder Tower, are the most notable.
The latter was located on the outskirts of the city, right next to the Via Augusta. The remains of the residential area (pars urbana), and the area reserved for agricultural production have been preserved here. As usual, the rooms of the manor house were arranged around the atrium or entrance hall, and in the central part there was the impluvium, an area used for water storage. Equipped with thermal baths, the villa, in a good state of conservation, is richly decorated in mosaics with geometric and plant motifs.
When the ‘clos de la Torre’ in Badalona was developed in 1954, an exceptional discovery was found: the remains of the
baths of the Roman town of Baetulo in an excellent state of conservation. In order to preserve the remains, the Museum of Badalona was built over the top of them. It was opened in 1966.
Since its refurbishment in 2010, going down to the basement of the Museum of Badalona gives access to a 3,400 m2 site with the remains of the Roman city. In addition to the baths, the remains of the
cardo maximus and the
decumanus maximus (with the corresponding drains), various shops (
tabernae) and three housing complexes (
insulae) can be seen. This is one of the
most important and well preserved archaeological sites from the Roman era in Catalonia.
The permanent exhibition of the Museum tells the story of the first settlements witnessed in Badalona - prehistoric, iron age and Iberian - but it is the exhibits relating to Baetulo which stand out, among which are the
hinge-posts of the city gate, the Vas de les Naus (Ship Vase) and the portrait of Agrippina.
The collection features an epigraphic document of great value, the
Tabula Hospitalis, a bronze tablet that records a hospitality agreement from 98 AD between the
baetulonenses and Quintus Licinius Silvanus Granianus, governor of the city. Another jewel of the exhibition is the
Venus of Badalona, one of the most important representations of the female form in Catalonia. These pieces were returned to Badalona in 1980, having been looted during the Civil War.
Apart from the main building, the Museum has various extension sites: the Roman archaeological sites of the
Casa dels Dofins and the
Garden of Quintus Licinius, the
Turó d'en Boscà (a walled Iberian settlement), and the
Can Miravitges estate (an 18th century agricultural manor house).
In 1882, when the Romanesque castle of Montcada in the old town of Vic was demolished, the remains of a Roman temple appeared among the ruins. This was the ancient Roman temple of Ausa which had been preserved in excellent condition. The building dates from the 2nd century, after the Roman conquest of Hispania. The reconstruction lasted for 77 years (1883-1959), but it is currently one of only two Roman temples throughout Spain to have been preserved practically complete.
The temple, built on a podium, consists of a cella (small chamber) and an atrium with 8 columns. Two of the walls of the cella were found almost intact. A capital, a section of the shaft of the column and the original fragments of the pediment were found amongst the rubble which allowed the exterior of the monument to be reconstructed.
The castle which occupied the temple area was built in 897 by Guifré el Pilós (Wilfred the Hairy) and, from the 11th century, was the property and residence of the Montcada family who reused the four walls of the temple to construct the castle’s central courtyard. Afterwards, the building was used as a residence of the veguer (feudal administrator), headquarters of the Royal Curia, the city’s granary and, finally, a prison and quarry. By the 19th century, it had lost its fortified appearance completely and had been converted into a rather forbidding mansion. Still preserved today are part of the vaults and walls of the north and west sections of the castle.
At Plaça Gran in Granollers, on a stone platform, fifteen columns rise up, covered by a four-sided roof with the edges covered with green glazed tiles. This Porxada or Portico, the most emblematic monument of Granollers, was built between 1586 and 1587 as a corn exchange. Today it has become the nerve centre of the city.
The initial project has been attributed to the master builder, Bartomeu Brufalt, and cost 520 Barcelonan pounds, according to the contract with the university of Granollers. Initially it was used during the agricultural market to protect the wheat that was sold here. In 1872, it was enclosed with grilles and stalls were built inside. It served its function as a general market until 1938, when a bombardment by the Francoist air force left the Porxada in ruins. After the war, in 1939, it was rebuilt without grilles or the stalls, leaving the columns open as they would have been when it was designed.
On the south-western corner of the Porxada, opposite the Granollers Town Hall, we find the Pedra de l’Encant (Stone of the Auction), a block of red sandstone which was undoubtedly used for conducting public sales (encants or auctions) of agriculture products and livestock. Legend says that this stone was carried to the Porxada by a flood and that there will be another flood that will carry it away.
The town of Cercs, in Berguedà, forms part of the
most important mining centre in Catalonia, particularly from the modern mining of brown lignite coal in the late 19th century. To ensure stable labour in such an isolated place, a colony was built with housing and basic services for the miners, following the example of the textile colonies in the region.
Since 1999, the
colony of Sant Corneli has been home to Cercs Mines Museum, which explains what the mining activity in the area was like over many years, from a geological, landscape, social and economic point of view. The Museum belongs to the Territorial system of the
Science and Technology Museum of Catalonia (mNACTEC).
The main building of the Museum is the old school of the colony, which was converted in 1931 to the "Hogar del Minero" (Home of the Miner) dedicated to services for workers (café, library, barbershop, cinema, games room, etc.). Here you can see the permanent exhibition that explains what
coal mining and the mining infrastructure was like. A significant part is devoted to
daily life in the colony and to the
working conditions of the miners. Two audiovisual displays describe their most emblematic protests and you can also visit a miner’s house.
In 2012, "The spectacle of the mine: emotions and sensations" was included as part of the exhibition which delves into the world of mining through a
immersive museum experience using new technologies.
Finally, a
guided tour of the interior of the mine transports the visitor to other periods and you can travel along the first 450 metres of a 7 km long gallery in a wagon.
In Catalonia, the Gothic lasted longer than in other neighbouring regions. Therefore, examples of Renaissance architecture are rather scarce. One of the first buildings in this style, preserved in Catalonia, is the Town Hall of Arnes (Terra Alta). The proof is on the frieze of the six main windows where you can read, going consecutively one to the other, an inscription with the construction date of "1584" and the name of Joan Vilabona of Queretes.
The building, entirely free-standing, has an entrance portico. The first floor is surrounded by six windows with lintels and engaged, ionic half-columns, probably the place where the Renaissance influence can best be seen. Finally, completing the complex is the second floor with an arcaded gallery, now blocked in. Despite its austerity, some details are particularly notable such as the gargoyles or the coat of arms on a keystone of the central door.
The inside had been modified, but now nothing remains of the original sixteenth century interior. This was lost in 1835 during the Carlist Wars, when the building was set on fire.
From history and ethnography to geography and the economy, also taking in the ecology. The Museu de les Terres de l'Ebre (Museum of the Lands of the Ebro in Amposta) gives a cross-sectional view of the Ebro delta region. Visitors can learn about the Ilercavones, learn different ways of fishing, even see a ‘llagut’ up close, the most characteristic river boat.
It was created in 2011, as an expansion and updating of the previous Museu Comarcal del Montsià (Montsià County Museum). It occupies the old modernista building of the Miquel Granell state school, which has been converted to meet the needs of a modern and thought-provoking museum project. The museum conserves and manages one of the most important collections of nature, archaeology and ethnology in the Terres de l'Ebre region made up of more than 35,000 objects, among which the Falcata stands out, an Iberian sword that forms part of the set of urns and artefacts from the Iberian necropolis of Mianes (Santa Barbara).
The permanent exhibition "The lands of the Ebro: from prehistory to the middle ages" takes a tour through the history of the banks of the lower Ebro, starting from the archaeological remains found in the area. The second room, "Ebro: the water road" focuses on the influence of the most important river on the Iberian Peninsula on history and the collective identity, and reflects on what the future of the territory will be like.
On the museum’s website, various archaeological items can be viewed in 3D.
The museum will head up the network "Ebro nature & culture" which brings together museums, interpretation centres, archaeological sites and monuments in the different municipalities of the Ebro.
