Barcelona’s Barri Gótic, or “Gothic Quarter,” contains all the layers of this city’s deep history, from ancient Roman outpost to capital of the Crown of Aragon in the Middle Ages to the making of a modern metropolis in the 19th century. Although a strictly chronological approach is impossible in a such a palimpsest as Barcelona, we’ll start our exploration in the Plaza Nova where one can still see some of the remains—a gate, part of the walls—of the Roman outpost that presaged the city.
From here our course will take us through the heart of the Gothic Quarter, passing undoubtedly by the main Cathedral. We’ll use this late Gothic masterpiece as a backdrop for discussing the medieval evolution of Barcelona when suburbs, grew up around the city’s compact
Our walk will also take us to the Born, past the Boqueria, Barcelona’s main market, and onto the Ramblas, the main thoroughfare of the city where we’ll look at how modern development re-cast the city in the 18th and 19th centuries.