Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SQUARE
PLAÇA DE SANT JOSEP ORIOL
This small plaza flanking the majestic Església de Santa Maria del Pi is one of the prettiest
in the Barri Gòtic. Its bars and cafes attract buskers and artists and make it a lively place to
hang out. It is surrounded by quaint streets, many dotted with appealing cafes, restaurants
and shops.
CHURCH
ESGLÉSIA DE SANTA MARIA DEL PI
This striking 14th-century church is a classic of Catalan Gothic, with an imposing facade, a
wide interior and a single nave. The simple decor in the main sanctuary contrasts with the
gilded chapels and exquisite stained-glass windows that bathe the interior in ethereal light.
The beautiful rose window above its entrance is one of the world's largest. Occasional con-
certs are staged here (classical guitar, choral groups, chamber orchestras).
The third chapel on the left is dedicated to Sant Josep Oriol, who was parish priest here
from 1687 to 1702. The chapel has a map showing the places in the church where he
worked numerous miracles (he was canonised in 1909). According to legend, a 10th-century
fisherman discovered an image of the Virgin Mary in a
pi
(pine tree) that he was intent on
cutting down to build a boat. Struck by the vision, he instead built a little chapel, later to be
succeeded by this Gothic church. A pine still grows in the square outside the church.
SQUARE
PLAÇA REIAL
One of the most photogenic squares in Barcelona, the Plaça Reial is a delightful retreat from
the traffic and pedestrian mobs on the nearby Rambla. Numerous eateries, bars and night-
spots lie beneath the arcades of 19th-century neoclassical buildings, with a buzz of activity
at all hours.
It was created on the site of a convent, one of several destroyed along La Rambla (the
strip was teeming with religious institutions) in the wake of the Spain-wide disentailment
laws that stripped the Church of much of its property. The lamp posts by the central fountain
are Antoni Gaudí's first known works in the city.
The southern half of the Barri Gòtic is imbued with the memory of Picasso, who lived as
a teenager with his family in Carrer de la Mercè, had his first studio in Carrer de la Plata and
was a regular visitor to a brothel at Carrer d'Avinyó 27. That experience may have inspired
his 1907 painting
Les Demoiselles d'Avignon
.
