Son of Peter the Second of Aragon and Mary of Montpellier, James the First of Aragon was born in 1208 and was Count of Barcelona, King of Aragon, Valencia, Mallorca and Lord of Montpellier. Bernart Desclot describes him in his Chronicles as a tall, blond King with a portly presence. His was a long and prosperous reign. He conquered Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza between 1229 and 1235, with a fleet of ships that wrested the isles from the Saracen. Contiguously, he began the conquest of Valencia, and in 1265 he was able to conquer Murcia, with great tenacity and bravery, always at the head of his troops. James I is the author of Llibre dels feits, a quasi-autobiographical chronicle of his reign, with a linguistic, literary and historic value such that it is considered one of the most important texts of medieval Catalan literature. James the First died in 1276 and his remains are buried in the Monastery of Poblet.
Restaurant SENYOR PARELLADA carrer de l’Argenteria, 37 Phone 933 105 094 www.senyorparellada.com One of the popular Catalan cuisine landmarks in the city. Located in the heart of the Born, it once was a travellers lodge and still conserves an interior central patio with a glass-roof.
Restaurant MONTIEL Espai Gastronòmic carrer Flassaders, 19 Phone 932 683 729 www.grupmontiel.com/restaurantemontiel.html Located near Picasso museum, it is quiet place where to taste traditional Spanish dishes, prepared with excellent ingredients and selected wines.
LA VINYA DEL SENYOR plaça de Santa Maria, 5 Phone 933 103 379 www.lavinyadelsenyor.com Standing in a very privileged corner this wine bar has more than 400 types of wines.
Restaurant GADES carrer Esparteria, 10 Phones 933 104 455 www.gadesfondues.com In the heart of Ribera district, you can find one of the most emblematic restaurant of Barcelona where to try an excellent fondue. It also offers inviting menus.
MUSEUM OF THE CITY’S HISTORY (MUHBA) plaça de Pau Vila, 3 Phone 932 254 700 www.museuhistoria.bcn.es Visiting this interesting museum, you will have the chance to get to know better the city of Barcelona. You will walk on glass panelledcol floors that allow to observe the old Roman Barcino of the 1st B.C. or you can follow a curious and didactic route to go into the high Middle ages.
LA SANTA CREU I SANTA EULALIA CATHEDRAL (The cathedral of Barcelona) plaça de la Seu, s/nº Phone 933 428 262 www.catedralbcn.org One of the Catalan Gothic monuments, with three naves and one apse. It has a recent façade of the 19th century and it was built between the 13th and the 15th century where a Paleo-Christian and a Roman cathedral had been built. The cathedral is one of the most important symbol of the city. The entrance is free, except from 13 to 17 p.m.
PICASSO MUSEUM carrer de Montcada, 15-23 Phone 932 563 000 www.museupicasso.bcn.cat It is the reference centre of the education period of Pablo Ruiz Picasso. It houses more than 4000 works of the artist.
LES CULTURES DEL MON MUSEUM carrer de Montcada, 12 Phone 932 562 300 http://museuculturesmon.bcn.cat/es It is located in the Gothic buildings of Nadal and Marqués de Llió and is dedicated to cultural and artistic diversity of Africa, Asia, America and Oceania. Closed on Monday and on the first Sunday of each month, free entrance every day.
SANTA MARIA DEL MAR CHURCH plaça de Santa Maria, 1 Phone 933 102 390 It is one of the most emblematic temple of the authentic Catalan Gothic style. It was built between 1329 and 1383 thanks to the work of the two main foremen Berenguer de Montagut and Ramón Despuig, who gave the spaciousness to the church and created the top rose window and the impressive columns. The entrance is probably free, since it is a popular church built by parishioners.
COLUMNS OF AUGUSTO’S TEMPLE (Centro excursionista de Catalunya) carrer Paradís, 10 Phone 933 152 311 While you are walking around the centre, you can enjoy the quick visit the fourth columns of Augusto Roman temple. They are the only remains of the original temple that is a thousand years old. A millstone in front of it shows the highest point of the Roman city, the Táber mount.
CASA DE L’ARDIACA carrer de Santa Llúcia, 1 In the 12th century this building was built as the residence of the church hierarchy of the Archdeacons. It was renovated in the 15th century and today it is the venue for the Historic Archive of the city. In the Corpus Christi day, during the month of May, you can watch the curious Catalan tradition of “l’ou com balla”, according to which an egg dances on the top of the courtyard’s fountains. Very close to thePia Almoina and the centre cívic Pati LLimona (carrer de Regomir, 3), an ideal place to drink a tea and to relax for a while.
MIBA. IDEAS AND INVENTIONS MUSEUM OF BARCELONA carrer Ciutat, 7 Phone 933 327 930 www.mibamuseum.com Let your imagination be free visiting this space that has three main areas: the Reflexionarium, the Espacio Absurdo and the Sociedad limitada. It is full of creative objects and inventions for all the family. Closed on Monday.
MOTORBIKE’S MUSEUM OF BARCELONA carrer de la Palla, 10 Phone 933 186 584 www.museumoto.com Located in the ground floor of the Sant Felip Neri convent, this is a curious space with a selection of motorbikes’ models from the year 1905 to 2010. It also has a shop with outstanding products and a selection of books about the world of two wheels.
FREDERIC MARÈS MUSEUM plaça de Sant Iu, 5 Phone 932 563 500 www.museumares.bcn.cat This museum houses the collections of Hispanic sculpture that the sculptor Frederic Marès assembled and donated to the city. Some of his works are preserved also in the library and the collector’s studio houses thousands of the objects, most of them of the 19th century.
SALA CIUTAT carrer Ciutat, 2 Phone 932 563 990 www.bcn.cat/salaciutat This building hosts exhibitions and films screening. You can enter for free through the main entrance of the city council located in 2, Ciutat street. Free entrance.
FRANCESCA BONNEMAISON LIBRARY carrer Sant Pere més Baix, 7 Phone 932 687 360 www.bcn.cat/bibfbonnemaison An efficient library that has an area for children and is specialized in female literature.
