romanesque in barcelona - cooltur · barcelona is known for the gothic and modernism art, but we...

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ROMANESQUE IN BARCELONA

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TOURISTIC TOUR BY COOLTUR TURISME CULTURAL

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The Romanesque

Feudalism was a social, political and economic system that was formed in

Western Europe during the ninth and tenth centuries, a few centuries after the

disintegration of the Roman Empire.

Feudalism was characterized by the pacts of vassalage between the feudal

lords and the King of each kingdom that were throughout Western Europe. In

these agreements, the feudal lords promised allegiance to the king in exchange

for economic privileges and power.

Probably, for this reason, one of the great features of this system was the

strong presence that had the Catholic Church, which enjoyed large share of

power in all feudal kingdoms, and which was marked, quite clearly, the life of

everybody.

During the early centuries of feudalism (X-XIII) appeared in all realms, an

artistic, cultural and architectural movement, the Romanesque.

The Romanesque was the first movement since the collapse of the Roman

Empire to have representation across the European territory. It must be said,

therefore, that although this style was present in all European kingdoms, once

introduced unique features in each kingdom.

Although, with this style, several civil and military works were built, the main

theme was the Church, being used to build a large number of monasteries and

churches that are still standing today.

The material used to construct these buildings, in this style, was the stone, a

material characterized by its weight. It is for this reason that the buildings are, in

general, thick walls, often reinforced with buttresses. In addition, another feature

is the low presence of windows in the Romanesque buildings. The few windows

present in these buildings are small openings to let inside these buildings a little

light. In addition, this style reused Roman building techniques, such as arch.

Another feature of the religious buildings of Romanesque style is that all of them

have a bell tower, which is used to call prayer. We can also see how some

churches presents the altar at the east of the building, as it was where entered

the first light of day.

Most of these buildings had a decoration inside and outside. The exterior

decoration has deteriorated with the passage of time, leaving the walls views,

as we know them today.

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There are few buildings that still presented a decoration inside, as in the

nineteenth century there was a big traffic of these decorations, some of which

were sold to private collectors.

Barcelona

Barcelona is known for the Gothic and Modernism art, but we can find, also,

some very interesting Romanesque remains hidden. Many of the Romanesque

elements have disappeared for the successive reforms of the city.

This period begins with the fall or Barcelona under the hands of the Carolingian

Empire. The city won’t be any more part of the Caliphate of Córdoba. It will be a

small part of the border, far away of the franc power core. Bishop was foremost

the most important authority, with the counts, who designated the emperor for

each border district. In the late ninth century some changes occur into the

Carolingian Empire, where the Count started to become a hereditary titre, and

in Barcelona, like other areas, appeared the firsts own lineages. These counts

recognized the French monarch but in fact, they acted freely. In 950 Córdoba

Caliphate started new alliances combined with regional offensive that promoted

the assault and the destruction of Barcelona in 985 by Al-Mansur.

In the eleventh century Barcelona entered with the non-renewal of allegiance

with the King of France. At the same time, the Andalusia Caliphate began to be

divided into different kingdoms of taifas. In this new situation of Andalusia

Caliphate the Counts started a military pressure against these taifas that revert

with monetary compensation. On the other hand, militarization and insecurity of

land led to the acceleration of feudalism. Taking advantage of this situation, the

Count of Barcelona was imposed on all other feudal lords. Over the next three

centuries, the Barcelona dynasty made a military and political expansion that

gave some importance in the western Mediterranean.

After the destruction of the city by Al-Mansur, Barcelona entered into a period of

auto regeneration with the creation of new markets and new parishes. Also, the

emergence of suburbs outside the ancient Roman walls is a clearest example of

the growing of this city. At the same time, the authorities started to privatize the

ancient wall, where they built new palaces.

At mid-twelfth century Barcelona became the capital of the new kingdom and its

commercial and manufacturing activity received a decisive boost. In the

thirteenth century all suburbs joined the city, leading to a real urban area, and a

new wall was built around these new suburbs.

From COOLTUR suggest you to make this tour through the Romanesque

Barcelona. This tour will demonstrate that the Romanesque art is not only

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for the rural areas, and also, you will see the transformation of Barcelona

into the capital of the kingdom.

We will start this tour at the Monastery of Sant Pau del Camp (Sant Pau

Street 99). The first mention of Sant

Pau dated from 985 but until 1117 it

won’t be a monastery.

It’s quite possible the existence of a

monastery before 985. We think that

because it had been found the

tombstone of Guifré Borrell, Count

of Barcelona, who died in 911. Also,

we should remember that Al-Mansur

raided the city in 985.

The monastery became extinct in 1835,

becoming parish until today.

This building is a construction inspired

by the Lombard advanced models of

XII century, as a result of the second

foundation. This building has a single

nave topped with three apse (the

central apse is bigger than the other

two). The roof is a barrel vault topped

by an octagonal dome. The main door is flanked by two columns with marble

capitals with a vegetale decoration dating from the Visigoth period (VI-VII

century). In the central eardrum we

can see the figure of Christ flanked

by Saint Peter and Saint Paul. At

the foot of these figures there is a

inscription in very poor conditions,

that it’s possible to read the names

or the promoters.

Obviously, there are much

subsequent amendments, especially the

XIV and XV century, as well as numerous

restorations made after the ravages of the

Civil War. The most notable feature is the

cloister, a square and lobed arches (there

are three or five lobes) supported by

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columns with figured capitals with plant motifs and storied fantastic animals,

especially of Genesis. All this constitutes a unique set in Catalunya, dating from

the thirteenth century and raised a relationship to alleged Muslim

reminiscences.

Go northeast along Sant Pau Street to the Carretes Street 28 m Turn left onto Carretes Street 400 m Turn right on Cera Street 23 m Turn to left on Botella Street 82 m Turn right by Pedró Square 37 m Turn Slight left to stay on Pedró Square 18 m

We arrive at Plaza del Padró where we find the

Chapel of Sant Llàtzer. Built in the twelfth

century, this chapel was part of the dels

Mesells Hospital, founded by Bishop Guillem de

Torroja and dedicated to

lepers. It has a

semicircular apse

decorated with a

Lombard style. This apse

has a semicircular

window with archivolts

and decorated capitals.

In some archaeological

excavation a set of tombs

were found. Interestingly, although it was a leper hospital,

the archaeologists didn’t find any skeleton with signs of

leprosy. The chapel has undergone several modern

reforms that give it its present appearance.

Head over to the southeast by Pedró Square to Hospital Street 18 m Turn left on Hospital Street Go to the roundabout. 600 m Turn right on Las Rambles 18 m Turn left on Boqueria Street

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190 m Turn right on Avinyó Street 170 m Turn left on Cervantes Street 63 m Continue along Templers Street 50 m Turn right on Ataülf Street Destination will be on your right 25 m

Capella del Temple, Santa María del Palau o Capilla del Palau is the name by

which the ancient chapel of the House of the Temple of Barcelona is known.

Templar settled in Barcelona in 1134, but not until the thirteenth century this

movement became important. The chapel was

consecrated in 1246. It was a single nave, with arches,

now hidden by a late Gothic back that also hides remains

of Romanesque painting.

This chapel survived the end of the Templar and became

part of the famous Royal Palace Menor built in the

fifteenth century by Pere III. This palace was demolished

in 1858. The door of the chapel comes from the Templar

chapel but not on the original site and has undergone

some changes, especially in 1868. We can see the archivolts and Romanesque

corbels.

Head over to the southeast by Ataülf Street onto Comtessa of Sobradiel Street 35 m Turn left on Calella Street 28 m Turn right on Regomir Street 72 m Turn left on Correu Vell Street 79 m Turn right and continue along Correu Vell Street 13 m

Correu Vell Street, 12

In Correu Vell Street, 12 we will find a thirteenth century manor house

transformed into residential home in XVIII century. Interestingly, we can still see

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a double-arched windows located in the Romanesque tower.

Go north on Traginers Square to the Pom d'Or Street 36 m Traginers Square turns right and becomes Pom d'Or Street 34 m Turn left on Sots - Tinent Navarro Street Destination will be on the left 180 m Sots - Tinent Navarro Street, 4

The building and the tower that we can see from

Sots-Tinent Navarro Street corresponds to the

rear of the Real Academia de les Bones Lletres

located in the old Requesens Palace. This is

basically a Gothic building that have suffered

some reforms, but is quite possible, from the

street, see the Romanesque building, which is

supported by a large arcade that runs from tower

to tower (XII-XIII century). You can see traces of

its windows. The north tower is much restored, but

is clearly distinguished as ancient Roman

construction suffered a lift to the XIII century, when

double-arched windows were added.

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Go northwest on Sots - Tinent Navarro Street to the Àngel Square 33 m Turn left on Jaume I Street 44 m Turn right on Trompetes de Jaume I Street 27 m Continue along Veguer Street 56 m Turn right at Rei Square 12 m Rey Square

The Count's Palace, or Royal

Palace, was built in the XI century

on an earlier building, with a

Visigoth origin probably. Their

classrooms were based on arcades

arranged perpendicular to the old

Roman wall. You can see the

barrel vaults on the ground floor

and two longitudinal sides of the

building, two stories high. On this

facades it’s possible to see the

primitive windows, of the XI

century, and some other

windows of the XIII century.

Some of these windows are

boarded up because of

renovations of the fourteenth

century.

This building represented the center of

power of the Counts of Barcelona, in

addition to their primary residence,

over two hundred years.

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Go southwest on Rei Square to the Veguer Street 12 m Continue on Baixada de Santa Clara Street 22 m Turn right on Comtes Street Destination will be on your right 41 m Plaza Sant Iu

Before going to visit the Cathedral of Barcelona, we should know that the

Romanesque temple, built in the mid-eleventh century, has disappeared almost

entirely under the thirteenth century Gothic building. Archaeology has shown

that the building of the thirteenth century was built at the same time that the

oldest building was in use. As an example we can say that many of the

foundations of the Gothic headquarters are exactly the same that had the

Romanesque cathedral. Therefore, its current structure continues to be an

extension of the previous temple and observe these matching items, as two of

the doors.

One of the side entrances of the Cathedral, known

as the “Door of Sant Iu” we can find some

Romanesque details. This door is one of the oldest

Gothic constructions, and it’s possible to see a

Romanesque influence on it. For many years this

gate was the main entrance of the Cathedral. It

seems that the name of this door was put in the

fifteenth century because the image that we can

see corresponds to Santa Eulàlia. It’s pretty sure

that the reliefs on the door sides are from the

Romanesque temple, where you can see the

struggle of a man against a beast, carved in the

twelfth century.

Inside the actual temple, near this door,

there are some parts of the Romanesque

temple included in the Gothic building. It is

a wall with narrow windows framed with

columns, located in the sacristy.

Superimposed on this, we can see a large

room with a barrel vault roof from the

Romanesque temple.

Also, inside the cathedral, we can see how the doorway leading into the cloister

is a Gothic portal that integrated some Romanesque elements. This portal was

made with italic white marble taking a Romanesque aspect. Some experts

believe that this is one of the side doors of the Romanesque temple (during the

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twentieth century different authors have argued that

this was the main door of the Romanesque temple

that was moved to be the cloister door in the Gothic

temple).

This door has archivolts decorated with geometric

patterns and capitals, the imposts and the abacuses

are sculpted themes from the Old and New

Testaments (shown the struggle of man against

beast, resembling the door of Sant Iu).

Go northwest on Bisbe Street to the Garriga i Bachs Square 34 m Bisbe Street 5

We arrive at Palau del Bisbe, the Episcopal

residence in Barcelona since 1160. This building is

formed for two wings with three floors on each

wing. The yard wasn’t closed by the main façade.

To build the first wing they used the Roman wall as

a support. The second wing, built in the thirteenth

century, was perpendicular to the Roman wall. The

gallery of arches and capitals, located in the main

floor, was built in the late twelfth century or early

thirteenth century.

The reforms that this building has

suffered during the twentieth

century difficult to distinguish the

original parts.

Go northeast to Santa Llúcia Street Destination will be on the left 69 m Santa Llúcia Street 1

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In front of the Cathedral we can see

Torre de la casa del Degà, a tower

that was part of the Roman wall. The

house of the deans was built with a

Romanesque style but in the

fourteenth century it was reformed.

By 1420 the building was partially

demolished to open the Ctahedral

Square. This building still has dual-

arch windows dating from the twelfth

century.

Head over to the northeast by Santa Llúcia Street to Pla de la Seu Street 27 m Turn left on Pla de la Seu Street 48 m Turn right onto De la Catedral Avenue 24 m Catedral Avenue, 6

We can see a polygonal

tower of the Roman wall

that it was part of the

Canonja, also known as

Pia Almoina. The

Romanesque palace, built

in the eleventh century,

was the residence of the

canons until the mid-

fourteenth century.

In the fifteenth century two

buildings were added as a

headquarters of the Almshouse, a charitable organization existing since 1009.

The Romanesque remains of the Canonja are limited to the double-arched

windows located on the polygonal tower.

Go southwest on Catedral Avenue 34 m Turn left at Tapineria Street 110 m Tapineria Street turn left and renamed Ramón Berenguer el Gran Square 21 m Turn slightly right.

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22 m Ramón Berenguer el Gran Square

In this Square we can see the Romanesque arches. Built in the twelfth

century, when the Roman wall lost its defensive function, to support the new

buildings to be constructed.

During the fourteenth century the construction of the royal chapel of Santa

Agata demolished the oldest buildings that were here.

Go southeast towards the Ramón Berenguer el Gran Square 26 m Turn left on Ramón Berenguer el Gran Square 20 m Turn right on Via Laietana 38 m Turn left at Bòria Street 78 m Continue along Llana Square 53 m Continue along Corders Street 80 m Continue along Carders Street 5m Carders Street, 2

The Marcus Chapel is

a chapel built in

Lombard style in the XII-

XIII centuries. This

chapel take the name of

Bernat Marcus, the

builder of a hospital and

a shelter for the poor.

This chapel and its

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cemetery were part of these hospital.

These buildings were built near the France road. This wasn’t a coincidence,

because Marcus had a network business with France. In fact, their horsemen

initiated travel from this place, which also became customary to change horses.

For these reasons the chapel was dedicated to the Virgin of the Guide.

In the fourteenth century the chapel became the headquarters of the “Torters

Brotherhood” and it was the starting point of the first mail tour in Europe.

In 1401 the five hospitals that Barcelona had were centralized in the Santa Creu

Hospital. This fact made disappear the Marcus Hospital and only the chapel has

survived.

During the eighteenth century the apse of this chapel was removed to let some

space for the new buildings. Also, the roof, the steeple and the windows of the

main façade were renovated during the nineteenth century with a neoclassical

style.

Go northeast toward Carders Street to Giralt Pellicer Street 10m Turn left on Giralt Pellicer Street 48 m Turn left on Colomines Street Destination will be on your right 45 m Colomines Street 1

The current Santa Caterina Market is built

on the former convent of Santa Caterina,

one of the largest convents in the city. In

1219, through a request made by the

Bishop of Barcelona, Berenguer de Palou,

the Dominicans were established in the

city. This new brotherhood received some

houses of the old Jewish quarter.

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The success of the preachers was

such that in 1223 the city magistrates

gave them some land outside the

walls. This land included an old

chapel dedicated to Santa Caterina.

Alson, the same year, King Jaume I

granted the title of Real Monastery

community.

Dominicans started to build a new

convent in 1243, and ended in 1268. They built a church that had three apses

and a nave. The other existing structures were reformed too. Also, the land

used as a cemetery was replaced by a Gothic cloister in 1252. This convent

was extended and gained a lot of importance along the XIV-XVIII centuries.

In 1823 part of the convent was

demolished to open the Freixures

Street. Also the night of 25 July 1835,

the building was set on fire during the

incident of burning convents. In 1848

Santa Caterina Market was opened.

Inside the market you can still visit

some of the remains of the original

convent.

Head over to the northeast by Colomines Street onto Sant Jacint Street 43 m Turn right on Giralt Pellicer Street 48 m Turn left at Carders Street 200 m Continue straight onto Sant Agustí Vell Square 65 m Turn left on Basses de Sant Pere Street 19 m Turn Slight right to stay on Basses de Sant Pere Street 110 m Girad to left on Sant Pere Square 47 m Sant Pere Square

The Parish Church of Sant Pere was, until the nineteenth century, the

Benedictine monastery of Sant Pere de les Puelles.

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This monastery is usually attributed to Carolingian Emperor Louis the Pious, in

the early ninth century. But the truth is that the documentation of the foundation

indicates us that the foundation of this church was made in the middle of the

tenth century under the patronage of Count Sunyer and his wife Countess

Riquilda. The act of consecration of the church took place on 945.

The new church replaced the

existing church of Sant Sadurní.

In 985 the convent was destroyed

by Al-Mansur. After this, Count

Borrell sponsored the

reconstruction of the church of

Sant Sadurní. There are some

documental evidences that in

1143 this church had a cloister of

two floors high.

Kings benefited the monastery

with numerous donations during

its heyday (XIII century),

although the number of nuns

was limited to 50. During this

period, the area of the cloister

was reformed and built the

famous bell known as the "Torre

dels Ocells"(Tower of the Birds).

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During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the convent received many

bombings, and became part of the frontline during the Spanish Succession War.

Yet he survived on careful restorations.

During the nineteenth century, this convent lived different changes. In 1909, I

the context of the Setmana tràgica de Barcelona (tragic week of Barcelona), this

convent was burned and looted. The present church is the result of a restoration

of 1911 which changed the interior and the façade of the building, reaching

distort parts of the Romanesque and Gothic period.

It’s possible to see the original columns with Corinthian capitals, some imposts

arc with reliefs of the tenth century near the presbytery and the Blessed

Sacrament, and barrel vaults and the dome of the XII century. The central apse

is the fifteenth century, but restoration gave a Romanesque appearance.

Some remains of the late Romanesque cloister are preserved in MNAC

(National Art of Catalonia Museum).

From COOLTUR wish you enjoyed this tour, and you'll have a very good

day.

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romanesque in barcelona - cooltur · barcelona is known for the gothic and modernism art, but we...

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