The Born (la Ribera Quarter) Assignment

The Born (la Ribera Quarter)

Many streets in The Born area were dedicated to a specific craftsmanship. Carrer Dels Corders was skilled in making ropes. Carrer Dels Cotoners produced cotton. Carrer Dels Mirallers specialized in mirrors. It is where many of the stained glassed windows for the church were created. Carrer D’espaseria made swords and Carrer Dels Canvis Yells was like a little wall street because that was where the bankers dealt money.  Els Gremis were association of workers that specialized in creating a certain product. Each guild was located in a narrow street of The Born area. That street is where the workers of the guild would live and work in their la casa-taller. Today, the streets names still represent what each guild specialized in making.

It was very interesting to see how la casa-taller was set-up. At eye level, there is a big workshop window for customers to peer into. Next to this window was a small door that led to a very narrow staircase that led to the other floors. Above the workshop window, there were three windows in the vertical line that got smaller in size as they got higher up. On the first floor above the workshop, the owner lived. This floor was bigger with higher ceilings. The other floors were smaller and occupied by the workers. Also, all the furniture located on these floors were made by hand inside la casa-taller because it would have been impossible to get anything of great size up the narrow staircase.

The craftsman’s buildings were not very flashy buildings. The buildings were very simple and clean because they believed that there was no need to show your wealth outside of the building. It should be reserved for the inside. The only thing that was a sign of how much wealth a person has, was by a balcony. The more tiles a person had, the more money they possessed. Many of the buildings were covered in plaster to cover the stone. If there was no plaster then the stone had to be very smooth. Also, many of the buildings had rounded corners to allow chariots to navigate through the streets.

Santa María Del Mar is a church close to the sea and is very simple and clean on the outside. It is very similar to other buildings in the area. They believed the riches should be inside because that is where communication with God takes place. On the floor of the church, there are stamps of different families where they are buried. El Mercat del Born was the first wholesale market opened under a different name and paved the way for the market culture in Barcelona.  El Fossá de les Moreres is a plaza located by the Santa Maria Del Mar. The fallen soldiers of the Siege of Barcelona were buried here and the memorial plaza was built over it. This place is very significant in Catalan culture and the constant burning flame shows this. After the war of the Spanish Succession, Phillip V built La Ciutadella Park to maintain control over the people of Barcelona.  La Ciutadella was later torn down and rebuilt as a park.

Catalan society changed after the decrees of Nova Planta. All the ancient charters were changed so that everybody was to be ruled by the laws of Castile. All Spaniards were allowed to trade with American colonies because trade barriers did not exist.  Also, there was not a separation of two groups of Spaniards. Everybody was equal with respect to his or her rights.

El Consolat de Mar was the governing body of issues dealing with matters related to the sea. They created and enforced laws that had to do with trade across the sea and other commercial matters. 

Leisure Activity

Botellón

Before I arrived in Barcelona, I did not know about the botellón. I quickly learned about it after a few weeks here. Spanish students told us that if we want to drink before going out that we should come down to the main street and drink with them. I thought this was a strange concept. In America, we have what we call a pregame and that, more than often, takes place inside. Nobody would dare risk drinking in the streets were a cop could see you. So when the Spanish students said this, I was a little hesitant because I did not want to get in trouble with the cops. The students assured us that it would be fine. When we arrived, there were many students standing around just talking and drinking. Nobody had any  glass bottles or cans of anything. Everybody was drinking from a big Fanta or Coke bottle so it did not seem like they were drinking any alcohol. I was still nervous because I kept thinking I was going to get in trouble. Everybody seemed like they were having a good time just drinking and talking. I noticed a big difference between the botellón and the American pregame. The botellón seems to going along with the Spanish culture of socializing. Just as their dinners have a very important social aspect to them, the botellón seems to have that great social impact as well. In America, the goal of the pregame is to down many drinks. Just as an American dinner seems to focus more on the food than the people, a pregame main goal is to get drunk. It would be very common to see people chugging drinks at a pregame but this was not evident at a botellón. Also, it was very enjoyable to be outside during the botellón. There is something about the outside that made it more relaxing and fun. It is much better than many people cramming into a room and trying to drink and talk over the music. All in all, the botellón was a very good experience and I wish that I could bring that concept back to do it in America.   

  

Cuisine

Pintxos 

Walking around Barcelona, I have looked inside restaurants and have seen an array of plates with food sitting on the bar. Each one of theses plates are full of pieces of bread with bits of food placed on top of these pieces of bread with a toothpick holding everything together. During my time in Barcelona, people have asked me if I have visited the toothpick places and I never had any idea what they were talking about. Then, after constantly seeing these restaurants around Barcelona, I wanted to learn more about this food. I found out that these are called pintxos and come from the Basque Country. Today, there are many restaurants in Barcelona that sell pintxos. They have many similarities to tapas. When I went to the pintxos restaurant, I was a little confused. There was many different types of pintxos at the bar but I did not know how to order them.The bartender had to go about explaining to us how these things are eaten. It turned out that it was similar to a buffet. You get a plate and are able to chose what kinds and how many of pintxos you want. The thing that is important to remember is to keep the toothpicks. The toothpicks are what determines how much you pay at the end of the meal. At the restaurant, I thought it was going to be very expensive because I thought is was going to take many pintxos to fill me up. I was wrong. They turned out to be very filling and delicious. My favorites were the ones that included a big piece of cod. Pintxos come from the Basque Country and not Catalonia. I wanted to include pintxos because it seems as if Catalonia has adopted them. There are even some Catalan inspired pintxos. For example, there was one that had pan con tomate and ham. Pintxos can be said as being a more Spanish tradition than a solely Catalan tradition. 

Cuisine

Mercat de Santa Caterina 

The market culture is a very important aspect in Barcelona's society. There is said to be a market in every neighborhood in Barcelona. Most people who come to Barcelona are told to go to La Boqueria to get an experience of this market culture. I wanted to visit a market that maybe is not totally over run with tourists. I chose to go to the Mercat de Santa Caterina. This is still a somewhat touristy market but nowhere near La Boqueria. The first thing that stands out about Santa Caterina is the structure of the building. The roof is a very modern and colorful design. The convent of Santa Caterina use to occupy the space where the market sits today. Recently, the market went through a complete renovation. The modern renovation was lead by Enric Miralles and Benedetta Tagliabue. Today, it boast a colorful roof that can be seen from the air. Inside the market there is an abundance of different stands. It is very clean and neat inside.There are stands that are dedicated to only one item. For example there are the egg stands, olives stands, and ready made pasta stands. Many of the meat stands have the cutting utensils out and ready to cut the serving for the customer. There is also a long line of different seafood items sitting out. This market does not just contain food stands. Towards the back there is a supermarket. In front sits restaurant that is said to be very good. Also, there is a store that only sells olive oil. The market seems to try to be appealing for people who what fresh ingredients as well as common household good. I enjoyed this market more than La Boqueria because it did not feel as crazy and crowded. I was able to easily walk around and look everything it had to offer. It was a totally different feeling than the Mercat Del Encants. I feel all the markets in Barcelona have a unique and special aspect to each one.

Cultural Activity

La Mercè 

The festival of La Mercè is one of the best representations of Catalan culture.  It was very evident of the sense of pride the people of Barcelona received from attending the festival. Many people could be heard singing tradition Catalan songs while the Catalan flag waved above them or draped over their back. It was something that I had never experienced before. I do not know of a festival in the United States that takes over the whole city and so many people come to experience. Xavier Trias said it best, “La Mercè is more than a festival: it is a journey that begins in our past and leads us towards a tomorrow shaped by the talents, capabilities and efforts of an entire people.” 

This year from the 21^st to the 24^th of September, there were non-stop cultural activities to take part in. I was lucky enough to experience some of theses events. I saw the concert Oriol Tramvia at Plaza Cataluyna and then went to La Sagrada Familia to see the multimedia shows. It was the first time I had seen this building and I was amazed by the details. You could stare for hours trying to figure out what everything was. During the light show, La Sagrada Familia seemed to come alive. It was like I was watching a 3D movie and also you could feel in music shake your body.The area was packed with people but nobody seemed to move a muscle during the show. 

I had the pleasure of seeing the Castells. There were so many people packed in the square to witness it. The three I saw went flawlessly. Everybody was silent while they were climbing but when the child reached the top everybody went crazy. You were able to see the joy the castellers got from completing the tower. It was cool to think that something so old is still very alive in Catalan culture today. Finally, I was able to witness the Piromusical to end the festival. It was cool to see the fireworks go off and the fountain change colors. Also at one point, many people were holding up candles and it looked amazing. People where so proud of there culture during the fireworks. There were so many people singing songs and being happy. It was the perfect way to end La Mercè and to see how much meaning it has for the people of Barcelona. 

Casteller Article (Catalan News)

Éxtasis Casteller

In an article of La Vanguardia entitled "Éxtasis Casteller" by Esteve Giralt, it talks about the human towers and the world castell competition. All of the castellers from around the world come to compete in this competition. The Concurs de Castells took place in Tarraco Arena Placa with thirty-two teams competing. The article states that there were around six thousand castellers and more than five thousand spectators. Los verdes de Vilafranca won the competition by receiving the best "puntuación" in the history of the competition. It stated that they beat the second place team by more than double. I could not imagine getting to see this competition in person. I was lucky to see some castells during La Mercé Being a casteller seems like it would be very difficult. Some castellers came into one of my other classes to teach us about the tradition and actually demonstrated it for us. They said that they have to practice countless hours to perfect the tower. I learned that they wear this tight wrap around there mid section, not just for looks, but as a place to stick there foot when climbing. It makes it a little easier to climb up the body. Also, the balance the castellers have to have is amazing. If one person moves to suddenly then the whole tower could come down. During La Mercé it was cool to see how quiet the area got as people held their breath while the tower grew. Then, after the child reached the top, the crowd went crazy and there was such joy in the castellers faces. I could not imagine seeing this atmosphere amplified for the world competition, especially when history was made. From the pictures in the paper, there looks like there is a sea of different colors and not an empty seat in the stadium. It just shows how important castells are to the culture of this area. People take such pride in this. It was very evident, from the faces of the castellers and spectators, of what this meant to them. It would have been an amazing experience to be able to witness the competition in person.  

Museu d’Història de la Ciutat Assignment

Museu d’Història de la Ciutat

The Catalan buildings throughout Barcelona have a strong influence from the Romans. For example, in Roman times there were buildings that had three different windows in a vertical line. Inside the window closet to the ground is where the wealthy would live. Above them, at the top window, is where the people who served the occupants on the lower level lived. Today, the types of people occupying the rooms may not be the same but the structure of those three windows is present on many Catalan buildings. Also, the narrow winding streets that lead to the center of the city are still present in Barcelona today as they were in Roman times.

Through the years, polytheism changed over to monotheism. The Romans worshiped a number of different gods. Through time, the saints began to take the place of these gods and the church began to grow. This change has had a big cultural impact. Many cities have a patron saint that is very important to their city. The patroness of Catalunya is La Moreneta. In many places these saints are looked at more than Jesus.

The roman decorative art is present in a number of Catalan buildings around Barcelona. The roman pillars are one of the more obvious structures that are present in a number of the buildings. For example, in front of Montjuric stands Les Quatre Columnes, four columns that represent the four stripes of the Catalan senyera. These roman pillars also appear in some of the most important American architecture.  For example, the Lincoln Memorial and the Capital building display these pillars.  The Temple of Augustus in Barcelona is a good representation of a roman structure. There are the pillars but there is also the triangle shaped roof with decorative art on the ends. This roman design is also present on the Thomas Jefferson Memorial is America. This building also has a sphere shaped top and is very similar to the Pantheon. Many of these roman designs are present today because of Neoclassicism. Designs just began to be recycled throughout time so they still appear today.

El Tablinum

Vat

Some of the domestic objects included el tablinum, la lacuna fullonica, el vat, la dolia, the wine duct, clay wine glasses, clay pots for cooking, and the tools for makeup. Many of these objects were very interesting. Their laundry devices were very similar to what is used today. La lacuna fullonica was a rinsing vat for fabrics that had a drain. Also, the vat used ashes, lime, and ammonia, for washing and bleaching fabrics. El tablinum was said to be like “their version of the ipad” back in their time. Also la dolia was interesting because it was used to make and store garum. 

Wine Duct

The Romans left a great impact on the wine culture of Catalunya today. Wine played a great deal in the lives of the Romans. Wine was drank regularly throughout the Romans lives. There was even a god of wine, Bacchus. Many times wine was drunk out of pleasure but people also looked at it as a necessity. Wine wanted to be brought into the church. However, wine was drunk at orgies and other unholy events so the church did not want it in their place of worship. In order to have wine present in church there needed to be a holy aspect about it. In turn, the wine became the blood of Christ. This wine culture has stayed present in Catalunya today. Alcorta and Brut Zero are two popular wines found in Catalunya today.  

International Article

"Obama se recupera del debate con su mejor recaudación de fondos"

In an article of La Vanguardia entitled "Obama se recupera del debate con su mejor recaudación de fondos" by Francesc Peirón, it explains some of the things that occurred after the first presidential debate. Peiron talks about how President Obama had to celebrate his anniversary on the same day that he lost the first debate. However, even though the President lost the debate, he went on the receive a record amount of donations. The President is currently leading Romeny in donations. It is very interesting to read about American politics in another country. The American election has made the front page of La Vanguardia numerous times. After the first debate, I remember seeing the headlines on different Spanish papers that Obama had lost or that Romney had won. I wondered if this was the opinion of the Spanish press or it was something learned from the American press. There are two difficulties that I come across when I try to read about American politics in Barcelona. One of the obvious barriers is the language. I do not always understand the point that is being made in the article. Second, I am unaware of the news sources that lean to the right or the to left on the political spectrum. In America, when I watch a certain television show or read a certain newspaper, I know if they favor Republicans or Democrats more. In Barcelona, I do not know this and for this reason I could be reading skewed information. As I thought is was said in class, La Vanguardia tends to lean to the right more so it will tend to favor Romney more. In the article, it asked the question, "why did the President lose" and, if I understood correctly, other things seemed to favor Romney. As I gain more knowledge about different new sources then I will understand the news better. It is very exciting to be in Barcelona at this time because there is the upcoming USA election and the Catalonia election. It will be very interesting to see what the headlines say as both elections near.