Since we did not go away this past weekend, we instead took a little tour around the La Ribera Quarter, at the old quarter of Barcelona in the area of Ciutat Vella, which used to be the area right along the sea shore. In the Middle Ages it was the center of the guilds, commerce, and both importation and exportation.
The area around the Gothic Quarter and La Ribera Quarter is personally my favorite in Barcelona. I love the small streets and the quaint yet lively atmosphere. There are so many cute shops and restaurants serving delicious Catalan dishes.
In the 12th century, Carrer dels Corders was considered the main, wide commercial street of Barcelona. However, today, this same road, although wider than most in the Born and Ribera districts, is considered small and narrow.
In the Middle Ages, the area of La Ribera was mostly known for it’s guilds, some of which still exist today. There was a particular use for each floor of the building. Obviously, the main floor would be the shop of the guild. It would house whatever the guilds expertise was, for example, wool, swords, mirrors, etc. On the second floor of the building was where the guild master and his family lived, since this was the easiest floor to get to from the workshop. The floor above the master and his family was where the guild masters assistants would live and finally, on the top floor was the home of the servants. Like Barcino, the old town, and the Roman area, the windows would be larger on the lower stories of the home and smallest on the top floor where the servants lived. It took more effort to climb up the stairs to the top floor, which is another reason for housing the servants there.
In the Gothic Quarter, El Born area and La Ribera Quarter, the street names and plaques still carry the names of the guilds who had a large presence on the street. For example, Placa de Llana, was the stock market for wool and was the street where most of the wool was made and sold. Likewise, Carrer dels Mirallers, Mirallers, meaning mirrors, was the street where mirrors were sold. Another street, Carrer de L’Espaseria, was a street where one could buy swords and today people can shop along this street to buy a good set of knives. Each guild had their own sign outside of their doors, depicting what guild was settled in that area with a picture. We even passed an iron workshop that was still in use. The iron work was made by hand and was used to make railings for the wealthier families balconies. The balconies with handcrafted iron work on the railings meant that you were richer than those who had plain, iron railings. One of the most important streets in this district, though, was Carrer dels Canvis Vells, which was the main financial area. This street was closest to the sea and therefore was where all of the trading took place and prices were set for the guilds.
If you notice under the sign, there is a wooden beam built into the wall. These beams can be found along many of the buildings and are traces of the Middle Ages. The beams were used to support the buildings and haven’t been replaced. Along with the wooden beams, you can spot traces of archways that were built in the Middle Ages that have since been knocked down to build up and remodel the buildings above it. However, there are still some stone archways throughout the district that remain intact.
It’s so interesting that the guilds left such a large presence on the people of Barcelona, both in the past as well as continuing into the present. The streets are still named after the guilds that were found there which allows any tourist to gain a little look into the old city without having to search for information. It was fun to learn about some of the guilds that still exist today and was even more fun to actually see one. This aspect of the Ribera Quarter only makes me love it even more because of it’s strong cultural and historical background to the city.
At the heart of this area is Santa Maria del Mar, a church in the Ribera Quarter that was built between 1329 and 1383, during Catalonia’s strong sea presence, and is the only existing church in the pure Catalan Gothic style.
The church is in the center of the Ribera district, which as you know, is made up of smaller narrow streets. Therefore, it is hard to step back and gain an overall perspective of the church, yet even without that ability it’s beauty is portrayed. There are many different depictions around the church but most notably are the depictions on the outside, showing workers carryings stones on their backs. These can be found on the main doors of the church and represent the guild members who helped transport the heavy stone from the quarry to their new church. There are also images of Saint Peter and Saint Paul on the side of one of the doors leading into the church. Inside the church it is said that the wealthier families were buried underground. The wealthier priests and wealthier families could be buried in front of the altar while others had to be buried behind it.
The church is beautiful both inside and out and is a very striking feature in the Ribera district. It has become a large force in the community and values it’s community ties very strongly.
In the Middle Ages, the church was paid for with all the money from the guilds, and therefore was the church of the workers.
On the right side of Santa Maria del Mar is the Fossar de les Moreres, a memorial plaza built over a cemetery where defenders of the city were buried after the end of the War of the Spanish Succession in 1714. The square can be used as open space for the Catalan people and all of those who visit. However, there is much deeper meaning to this area and the memorial that stands there. The memorial is a large red beam that holds an eternal burning torch on top. This torch of eternal flame recognizes the Catalans who died in the war. Alongside the memorial a poem, “El Fossar de les Moreres” was written by Frederic Soler.
After learning about the memorial we walked around the area a little more. We arrived at Pla del Palau, where La Llotja stands. This building was built in the 14th century and is now the hub of Catalan commerce. It is the corporate headquarters of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and is at the center of Pla del Palau.
After the Pla del Palau, we walked through the Gothic Quarter area towards Parc de la Ciutadella. The city park is one of the largest in Barcelona and has the most green space in the city. After the demolition of the military citadel, the park was created. There are many important sights on the park and the zoo can be found there as well. Although we did not have time to walk around the park, I would love to go back to see it sometime in the near future.
I had no idea there was so much to see and so much to know about this area of Barcelona. It continues to be my favorite neighborhood in the city and hopefully if you all travel to it in the future you will remember some of the facts I told you!
Katie Killeen 