Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Besòs. Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Richard Rogers has revitalized the city's
old bullring, at Plaça d'Espanya, now the
Arenas de Barcelona
, incorporating a domed
promenade and viewing platform atop a shopping and leisure centre.
Universitat de Barcelona
Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 585, at Pl. de la Universitat • Universitat
Built in the 1860s, the grand Neoclassical main building of the
Universitat de Barcelona
is
now largely used for ceremonies and administration purposes, but no one minds if you stroll
through the doors. There's usually an exhibition in the echoing main hall, while beyond lie
two fine arcaded courtyards and extensive gardens, providing a welcome escape from the
traffic.
Fundació Francisco Godia
C/de la Diputació 250 • Daily except Tues 10am-8pm • €5.50 • Free guided tours of the collection Sat & Sun at
noon • 932 723 180,
fundacionfgodia.org
• Passeig de Gràcia
Sited in a handsomely restored
modernista
mansion, the private art collection of the
Funda-
ció Francisco Godia
spans eight centuries, showcasing an exquisite selection of medieval
to modern Catalan art. The pieces were amassed by aesthete and 1950s' racing driver, Fran-
cisco “Paco” Godia, an avid art collector in later life, and while not all of the collection
can be shown at any one time, a representative selection is always on display - whether
it's Romanesque carvings or Gothic art, the
modernista
paintings of Isidre Nonell, Santiago
RusiñolandRamonCasasamongothers,orthevariedselectionofceramicsfrommostofthe
historicallyimportantproductioncentresinSpain.Specialexhibitionsalsorunintandem,for
which there's usually no extra charge.
Museu del Modernisme Català
C/de Balmes 48 • Mon-Sat 10am-8pm, Sun & hols 10am-2pm • €10, under-16s €5, under-6s free • 932 722
896,
mmcat.cat
• Passeig de Gràcia
Barcelona's traditional “gallery district”, around c/Consell de Cent, is a fitting location for
the stupendous
modernista
collection housed in the
Museu del Modernisme Català
. It's
the private enterprise of the celebrated Gothsland antiques gallery, and displays a collection
fortyyearsinthemaking-includingthefamousmarbledecorativevasebycraftsmanEusebi
Arnau that was the symbol of the Gothsland gallery for over thirty years. This is just one of
350 works on show across two exhibition floors in a restored building that was once a tex-
tile warehouse - the grand, vaulted basement contains paintings and sculpture while on the
ground floor is
modernista
furniture, from screens to sofas. There are paintings and works
