Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
sided with the conservative forces of Franco against the people. In retaliation, the working
class took their anger out on this church, burning all of its wood furnishings and decor (car-
bon still blackens the ceiling).
Today the church remains stripped down—naked in all its Gothic glory. The tree-like
columns inspired Gaudí (their influence on the columns inside his Sagrada Família church
is obvious). Sixteenth-century sailors left models of their ships at the foot of the altar for
Mary's protection. Even today a classic old Catalan ship remains at Mary's feet. As within
Barcelona's cathedral, here you can see the characteristic Catalan Gothic buttresses flying
inward, defining the chapels that ring the nave. The colorful windows come with modern
themes.
Nearby: Around the right side of the church is a poignant memorial to the “Catalan
Alamo”ofSeptember11,1714,whentheSpanishcrownbesiegedandconqueredBarcelona,
slaughtering Catalan insurgents and kicking off more than two centuries of cultural suppres-
sion.
Passeig del Born
This long boulevard is the neighborhood center. Formerly a jousting square (as its Roman
circus-esqueshapeindicates),itgotitsname,“ElBorn,”fromanoldCatalanwordfor“tour-
nament” (the name was eventually given to the entire neighborhood). These days, Passeig
del Born is a popular springboard for exploring tapas bars, fun restaurants, and nightspots in
the narrow streets all around. Wandering around here at night, you'll find piles of inviting
and intriguing little restaurants (I've listed my favorites on here ) . At the far end of Passeig
del Born is the vast-but-vacant, steel-frame, 19th-century El Born Market, which served as
the city's main produce market hall until 1971, when it was relocated to the suburbs. Plans
are under way to convert the market hall into a cultural center and museum.
You'll also find great shopping near this strip—be sure to venture up Carrer dels Flas-
saders (funky shops, to the left as you face the old market hall) and down Carrer del Rec
(fashionable boutiques, to the right as you face the market).
Chocolate Museum (Museu de la Xocolata)
Thismuseum,onlyacoupleofblocksfromthePicassoMuseum,isfunforchocolatelovers.
Operated by the local confectioners' guild, it tells the story of chocolate from Aztecs to
Europeans via the port of Barcelona, where it was first unloaded and processed. But the
history lesson is just an excuse to show off a series of remarkably ornate candy sculptures.
These works of edible art—which change every year but often include such Spanish themes
as Don Quixote or bullfighting—begin as store-window displays for Easter or Christmas.
Once the holiday passes, the confectioners bring the sculptures here to be enjoyed.
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