El Raval Walking Tour

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1 - Page 1 - El Raval Walking Tour El Raval is a district in Barcelona which features many worth visiting attractions. The neighborhood is known as Barri Xinés, which means "Chinatown". El Raval is very lively during the day and quite awake all through the night, so visitors will always have something to do and see here. Be one of them and enjoy yourself in El Raval. Guide Location: Spain» Barcelona # of Attractions: 13 Tour Duration: 2 hour(s) Travel Distance: 2.2 km Please note: This walk is also featured in the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" downloadable on itunes App Store and Google Play. The app provides turn-by-turn GPS navigation to guide you from one tour sight to the next, so you will never be lost. The apps offer additional walking tours in Barcelona. Check them out! GPSmyCity offers self-guided walking tours in over 1,000 city around the world. Please visit for more walking tour offers. List of attractions included in this self-guided walking tour: A) Church of Sant Pere Nolasc B) Church of Santa María de Montalegre C) Centre de Cultura Contemporànea de Barcelona (CCCB) D) Museum of Contemporary Art E) Foment de les Arts i Dissenys (FAD) F) Against G) Racó del Col.leccionista H) Antic Hospital de Santa Creu I) Rambla de Raval J) Carrer d'en Robador K) Sant Pau del Camp L) Ca l'isidre M) Tantarantana Theater - Page 1 -

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6 - Page 6 - A) Church of Sant Pere Nolasc There was a Vincentian monastery on the same spot where the present church stands. The present church was built between 1710 and 1746 in a Baroque style. The chapel was dedicated to St. Severus and St. Charles Borromeo. The church has a dome covered with a mosaic pattern of tiles, which is not common for Barcelona church architecture, and two bell towers at the entrance portico, the typical style of the Counter-Reformation churches of the period it was built. After reconstruction, Mercedarians took over the church, who renamed the building in homage of their founder, Barcelona's St. Pere Nolasc. Address: 5 Plaça de Castella, Barcelona, 08001, Spain Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Josep Renalias B) Church of Santa María de Montalegre For over 700 years the Church of Santa Maria de Montalegre has stood paying homage to Our Lady of Joy (Alegre) in Barcelona. The church is actually located several miles outside Barcelona in a small town known as Tiana. The church has undergone various expansion projects which also led to the construction of a priory closer to the town. The construction of this priory was complete in In 1362, the nuns expanded the project further with the construction of a new priory immediately outside the walls of the city, which made it closer for the residents of Barcelona. This led to the amalgamation of the two priories and hence the number of nuns grew more and more over the years. During the renaissance period however, the church and its nuns suffered the same fate as many others devoted to the same cause and experienced a grave downfall. When the nuns refused to implement the new laws that were put forward, this resulted in the culmination of the cause that the church was built for. Along with this, women were banned from entering the Order. However, by the order of Pope Clement VIII this law was dissolved and made ineffective in Address: 13 Carrer Valldonzella, Barcelona, E-08001, Spain Image Courtesy of Flickr and Mary Hutchison - Page 6 -

7 - Page 7 - C) Centre de Cultura Contemporànea de Barcelona (CCCB) (must see) Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona, or CCCB (Catalan for Barcelona Centre of Contemporary Culture), situated in El Raval, in the Ciutat Vella district of Barcelona, is a museum adjacent to the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art (MACBA). The building is a mixture of old and new styles, dating from the early 18th century up to recent renovation of a facade in the Plaça de les Dones. The centre, one of the most visited museums in Barcelona, hosts temporary exhibitions, a cinema, concerts and other cultural events. It opened in 1994 as a centre of urban development and urban culture studies administered coinjointly by the City Council of Barcelona and Diputació of the province of Barcelona, but soon after that became a museum about eclectic and varied subjects ranging from photography to sculpture or video art. Its thought-provoking temporary exhibitions frequently refer to social topics and art related to or coming from them. It is open Tuesday - Sunday: 11:00 am - 8:00 pm Address: Carrer de Montalegre 5, Barcelona, CT 08001, Spain Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Josep Renalias. Sight description based on Wikipedia. D) Museum of Contemporary Art (must see) The Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art (Museu d'art Contemporani de Barcelona, or MACBA) is situated in the Plaça dels Àngels, in El Raval, Ciutat Vella, Barcelona, Spain. It was designed by Richard Meier & Partners ( ). The building s architectural style has strong references to Modernism. This large (120 by 35 meters) white building has much of its southern elevation glazed, providing the visitor with views across the plaza, and allowing natural light into the interior. It includes a central library, specialized in art books and publications. The museum opened to the public on 28 November All the art dates from the mid-20th century onward. There are three periods of modern art represented: the first one covers the forties to the sixties; the second spans the sixties and seventies; the third period is contemporary. The collections focus on post-1945 Catalan and Spanish art, although some foreign art is also represented. Operation hours: Monday - Friday: 11:00 am - 7:30 pm; Saturday: 10:00 am - 9:00 pm; Sunday: 10:00 am - 3:00 pm Address: Plaça dels Àngels, Barcelona, Spain Image Courtesy of Flickr and puroticorico. Sight description based on Wikipedia. - Page 7 -

8 - Page 8 - E) Foment de les Arts i Dissenys (FAD) Forment de les Arts Decoratives i del Disseny, or Fostering Arts and Design is a group that has been in charge of Barcelona s design culture for around one hundred years now. It is responsible for presenting awards, recognition, grants and scholarships to artists and for promoting their work world-wide. The group also features interactive and interesting workshops for visitors. Young artists can even sell their works and merchandise at bargain prices here and those who wish to display their art may do so in one of the many exhibitions that the centre hosts every now and then. The headquarters has been constructed with a Gothic inspired style of architecture and has a simple, yet appealing building. The group holds an immense amount of responsibility, being in charge of Spain s art and culture growth, the exhibitions and sales held here are a must visit for locals and tourists alike. It is here that upcoming and new talent is pushed to the forefront and into the limelight so that the world can appreciate the talent Spain has when it comes to the design culture. One can also find great pieces of art at great prices at the sales and auctions here. Address: Plaça dels Angels 5-6, Barcelona, 08001, Spain Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Josep Renalias F) Against Open since 2000, Against is located in El Raval district and specializes in architect designed furniture and decorative arts from the 20th century. Featuring two floors packed with mid-century goods, Against is the place to find vintage furniture, ceramic objects, glass and plastic of European origin dating back to the early 1950s, as well as a wide collection of Spanish furniture from the 20th century. All items featured in the store, are carefully selected to bring good quality and originality. Operation Hours Monday - Friday: 4 pm - 8:30 pm; Saturday: 11 am - 2 pm Address: Carrer del Notariat 9, Barcelona, Spain Image Courtesy of Flickr and Dee Speed - Page 8 -

9 - Page 9 - G) Racó del Col.leccionista Located at Carrer dels Àngels in the El Raval district of Barcelona, Racó del Col.leccionista specializes in old and second-hand books, magazines and comics. With an extensive catalogue of about 30,000 titles, the Racó del Col.leccionista is an active participant at the Mercat de Sant Antoni. The store carries a large inventory of books on art, photography and illustrations, classical Spanish comics, and all kinds of magazines on drawing, automobiles, architecture, history, erotism, old newspapers, etc. Operation Hours Tuesday - Friday: 11 am - 2 pm & 5 pm - 8 pm; Saturday: 11 am - 2 pm Address: Carrer dels Àngels 14, Barcelona, Spain Image Courtesy of Flickr and lungstruck H) Antic Hospital de Santa Creu (must see) The Antic Hospital de Santa Creu has the honour of being perhaps the oldest medical complex in Barcelona. It was built in the 15th and 16th century and therefore boasts the impressive gothic style of architecture that reigned at that time. The foundation stone for the complex was laid by King Marti el Huma in The medieval building surrounds an orange grove as well as a green courtyard giving a picturesque look to it. The complex comprises the Royal Academy of Surgery and Medicine and the Casa de la Convalescencia on either side of each other. The building also features some beautiful renaissance columns that adorn the structure. The royal Academy of Surgery and Medicine is open on weekdays till 2pm for visitors. The greatest feature of the structure however is the image of St. Paul in the vestibule. It portrays one part of the saint s famous conversation done in blue and yellow tiles. The creator of the masterpiece in the building was Llorenc Passolas. There is also a well included in the building which was built as a dedication to the benefactor of the complex, Pau Ferran. The wooden doors at the entrance of the building have two horseshoes on them to wish luck to all those who visit, and also to pay tribute to Pau Ferran. (The word Ferran has origins from the word ferrandura which means horseshoe). - Page 9 -

10 - Page 10 - Address: Carrer del Carme 47, Barcelona, 08001, Spain Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Puigalder. Sight description based on Wikipedia. I) Rambla de Raval (must see) Located in the Ciutat Vella district, El Raval is a famous neighbourhood in Barcelona. This area was also known as Barri Xines, or Chinatown. The famous La Rambla of Barcelona is bordered by two main, historically rich neighbourhoods; the first one is of course the El Raval while the second one is known as the Barri Gotic. Over 200,000 people reside in this particular neighbourhood alone. This area was known mostly for its active night life in the form of cabarets, crimes and even prostitution, but over the years it has changed a great deal. Because it is centrally located, it is now becoming one of the more significant attractions that the city has to offer. The neighbourhood is home to hundreds of immigrants including Indonesians, Romanians, Indians and Pakistanis as well as many more. Some of the prominent buildings and destinations in this neighbourhood are Placa Universitat, and Placa Catalunya located towards the north, then Ronda Sant Antoni and Ronda Sant Pau situated towards the west and southern edge of the neighbourhood. Also in the neighbourhood are the Monastery of Sant Pau del Camp, the famous MACBA and a well known cat statue created by Fernando Botero. Address: Rambla del Raval, Barcelona, Spain Image Courtesy of Flickr and Alex Castellá. Sight description based on Wikipedia. J) Carrer d'en Robador (must see) Carrer d'en Robador is a dark narrow street in the heart of La Rambla. It was famous for being Barcelona's Red Light District in the past. Nowadays, it is much more conservative, but nevertheless, has preserved the atmosphere. There are many bars on this street. Address: Carrer d'en Robador, Barcelona, Spain Image Courtesy of Flickr and Clarence - Page 10 -

11 - Page 11 - K) Sant Pau del Camp Sant Pau del Camp, commonly known as Saint Paul of the Countryside comprises an old church and an attached monastery in Barcelona. The monastery itself is so old that there are no accurate historical records that can confirm exactly when it was established, but experts are of the opinion that the monastery was formed in the ninth century. The monastery is located in the El Raval district of the city. The first complex stood in its original form till the year 985, when the edifice was attacked and almost destroyed by Muslim soldiers, forcing the monks to abandon it. Several years later, in 1096, the structure underwent restoration and new monks arrived to take charge of the order. Once again, it was attacked in In 1117, the monastery became the priory of Sant Cugat after which it underwent a second round of restorations. The building, as seen today, is adorned with scenes from the Bible, along with those of animal life, vegetable motifs, monsters and various scenes from life. The tympanum of the church has an image of Christ with Saint Paul and Saint Peter. The building has been declared a National Monument. Address: Sant Pau 99, Barcelona, Spain Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Till Niermann L) Ca l'isidre Ca l'isidre is a traditional family-run restaurant that serves modern versions of typical Catalan dishes. Special attention is paid to seasonal products, so the menu is changed every day. It one of the most sophisticated Catalan restaurants in Barcelona, having served the likes of King Juan Carlos, Queen Sophia and Julio Iglesias. Address: Carrer Les Flors 12 Barcelona, CT 08001, Spain Image Courtesy of Pep Millán - Page 11 -

12 - Page 12 - M) Tantarantana Theater Inaugurated in 1996, the Tantarantana Theatre is a rather small theatre in Barcelona, with a seating capacity of one hundred and fifty people. It is located in the El Raval area and can be reached by bus and metro. Initially the theatre was even smaller and could only accommodate seventy five people. The Tantarantana Theatre now consists of more seats as well as a larger stage. The theatre basically displays experimental plays and contemporary works. The plays performed here are well appreciated and usually sold out. Other attractions include entertainment for children in the form of puppet shows and pantomimes. These shows are usually scheduled for early evenings in order to accommodate children and their parents. Tickets can be booked in advance, and one may be able to purchase them by contacting the theatre. The Tantarantana Theatre is an interesting place to check out if one has an inclination towards contemporary and alternative theatre productions. It may not have been built at a large scale like certain other theatres in the city, but all the plays that are performed here exceed expectations and promise an enjoyable time. One can reach the theatre via local bus lines 24 and 91. The metro L1 and L2 also offer transport to this destination. Address: Carrer de les Flors 22, Barcelona, Spain Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Pere prlpz - Page 12 -