Roman and Gothic Barcelona – June 4, 2015
Today was my first content-filled day of class – The Arts of the City. I am very proud to say I am the only Art History major in the room, so I feel very knowledgeable and ready to help those in need! The course starts off with the beginnings of the city of Barcelona. We learned the basics, and then our professor, Judith Urbano, took us out into the streets to experience for ourselves!
Barcelona originates from the Iberian name, Barkeno. The Iberian inhabitants only settled in the hills and mountains surrounding the current city. The next settlers in the Catalonian area were the Greeks, who arrived in around the 3rd century BCE in a city named Emporion. Finally, in 218 BCE, the Romans arrived in the same city as the Greeks, ultimately conquering the East and West coasts of the peninsula within a century. Their capital of their northern territories, also known as Hispania Citerior, was Tarraco (now Tarragona).
The 12 BCE Roman settlement in Barcelona, Barcino, was absolutely new. Because the Iberians, specifically the Laietanis tribes, lived in the mountains, such as Montjuic, the plains and lands near the sea were up for grabs for the newcomers.
Above is a depiction of the strong urban planning representative of Roman civilization. Each of their settlements featured the same elements, and Barcino was no exception. The North-South main street was always named the Cardo, and the West-East main street was the Decumanus. On this map, you may have an easier time if you picture the sea being on the right side. The extremes of these streets led to large entrances, some of which still remain visible today!
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- Western Decumanus Entrance
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- Eastern Decumanus Entrance
The towers flanking the entrances, which would have had three archways to allow pedestrians and chariots to enter, are characteristically round. The towers adorning the rest of the wall, excluding the corners, were all square.
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- Square tower and Aqueduct
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- Round Tower at Corner of the Wall
These two main streets would cross at the center of the city – the Forum. In this public space, people would congregate to go shopping, participate in politics, socialize, and bring sacrifices to the temple. Barcino, in particular, was home to a Temple for Augustus. Four corinthian columns from this temple still remain. They were used, during the Middle Ages, as a foundation for a residence, and were only later excavated properly for display.
In the Roman times, cemeteries were placed outside of the city limits. This was due to superstition, but also because of their hygienic standards. Those who were more wealthy were able to buy plots of land closer to the city walls, and the more simple tombs were laid further down the road into Barcino. The closer plots were more expensive because it was more desirable to have your loved ones in close proximity to you – you wouldn’t have to walk too far! The holes visible on the outside of the tombs were for the purpose of libation, or offerings to the dead.
Though we will be going into more detail about Gothic Barcelona in tomorrow’s class, Professor Urbano still lead us on a tour through the Gothic Quarter. We learned about the differences between Romanesque, Gothic, and Neo-Gothic architecture. Another interesting thing we learned was that entrances and doorways to important buildings always faced north during the Middle Ages – friends, allies, and Christians resided up North, while enemies, attackers, and Muslims lived in the south.
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- This is one of the earlier Medieval chapels in the city. Built around the 12th century, it is characteristic of Romanesque Architecture. The facade is simple, and the arch is rounded.
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- In this image, you see the old facade of the famous Gothic Cathedral of Barcelona. In the 14th century, the city ran out of funds to finish the front facade of the building – cathedrals are built from apse to entrance. The plain, gothic facade is seen in the foreground, while the Neo-Gothic, or 19th century, finished facade, is seen in the background.
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- Before the unification of Spain, the King of Aragon used this building (right) as a residence. The door elevated within the wall used to lead onto a bridge, connecting the Palace a building across the road. The bridge was demolished when, in the Renaissance, a new building was erected (left).
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- Another view of the Palace of the King
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- This was the King of Aragon’s Chapel. It is said that the tower is topped with what looks like a crown because of its royal connection.
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- Another view of the Chapel of the King
The city of Barcino grew larger during the Middle Ages due to a growth in population. The small enclosed walls of the Roman city were no longer able to contain its people. In the 1200s, a new wall was erected, its western borders ending at what we now know as Las Ramblas. A century later, another wall was formed around Raval (the outskirts) in an attempt to protect Barcelona’s crops and farmland. Finally, in response to 16th century Turkish attacks, a last wall was erected on the coast. Between the Roman, 13th, 14th, and 16th century walls, the Roman ruins survived the years the best.
I am looking forward to tomorrow when I present a lecture on Gonçal Peris Sarrià’s Altarpiece of Santa Barbara!!!
P.S. Today was Corpus Christi, a Christian holiday in which they celebrate the body of Jesus Christ. A tradition in Barcelona is to place eggs on the top of fountains and watch them dance. It was so entrancing!!!
