Barcelona, time to visit Spain
Sagrada Familia. The Basillica & Temple Expiatori оf Sagrada Familia is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, Spain. The church, designed by Antoni Gaudi (1852- 1926) is although incomplete. The use of organic forms reflects the forms Gaudi found in nature. The church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in November 2010 was consecrated and proclaimed a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI.
Parc Güell. Parc Güell is a garden complex with architectural elements situated on the hill of El Carmel. It was designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi (Antonio Gaudi y Cornet, 1852- 1929) and built in the years 1900 to 1914. It has an extension of 17.18 ha, which makes it one of the largest architectural works in south Europe. The Parc Güell was inspired by the English garden city movement.
Gaudi’s Home. The current Gaudi House Museum was built as a model home for potential buyers during Park’s construction. The House was designed by Francesc Berenguer, but as he didn’t have a degree in architecture was finally signed by Gaudi. It was built between 1903 and 1905. Gaudi lived there for almost 20 years.
Ciutadella Park. The Ciutadella park was created for the International Exhibition of 1888. Then the naturalist Norbert Font projected to decorate the park with stone figures of scale animals and dinosaurs that inhabited Catalonia in the past. The only animal created was the famous climbable gigantic stone mammoth, placed in 1906. During the mid- 19th century, Ciutadella park was for decades the only green area in the city. It hosts within its 70 acres (280 m2) the city’s zoo, the Parliament of Catalonia, a like, some museums, and a fountain of considerable size.
Montjuïc. Montjuïc, translated from medieval Catalan as “Mountain of the Jews”, is a hill to the southwest of the city center. Palau National constructed during 1929 World’s Fair, holds the National Art Museum of Catalonia. Font Magica of Montjuïc was built for the Universal Exhibition of 1929 by Carle Buïgas. This great fountain splashes 2,600 liters of water per second.
Barceloneta. Barceloneta is a roughly triangular shaped neighborhood in the Ciutat Vella district. It was constructed during the 18th century for the residents of the Ribera neighborhood who had been displaced by the construction of the Ciutadella of Barcelona.
Arc de Triomf. The Arc de Triomf was built for the Exposicion Universal in Barcelona,1888. The Arch is built of reddish bricks in the Neo- Mudéjar style.
Santa Maria del Mar. The church Santa Maria del Mar was built between 1329 and 1383. It is an outstanding example of Catalan Gothic.
Mercat del Born. Mercat del Born is one of the most important buildings constructed of iron in Barcelona. Il is the largest covered square in all of Europe, which marked the start of Modernism in Catalan architecture. It was designed in 1873 as the city’s marketplace. Now Mercat del Born is a cultural center.
Torre Agbar. The Torre Agbar is a 38- story bullet shaped skyscraper. It was designed by French architect Jean Nouvel. The Torre Agbar opened in June 2005, and measures a total of 50,693 square meters. The tower has more than 4,500 luminous devices, generating images capable of creating 16 million colours.
