The sculpted beauty of La Ribera

The Born CCM (Centre de Cultura i Memòria) has programmed two guided tours on 22 May and 26 June at noon to discover the characteristics and evolution of this sector of the city through its façades. The route is called Façanes que parlen de ciutat and lasts two hours.

La Ribera was one of the most dynamic and densely populated areas of the city, with constant urban growth and transformation operations, as witnessed by the medieval-style palaces and vaults and the street names, which are in many cases related to the guild of artisans who worked there. The neighbourhood preserves some of Barcelona's most emblematic buildings, including the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar, one of the finest examples of 14th-century Catalan Gothic architecture.

The levelling of a significant part of the neighbourhood to build the Ciutadella and the subsequent demolition of the fortress favoured the establishment, throughout the 19th century, of workshops and ground-floor warehouses, as well as the promotion of new eclectic-style urban planning, such as the Porxos d’en Fontseré, around the Mercat del Born and Comerç street. All these changes have left behind a multitude of protected buildings and complexes that are today part of the Catàleg de Patrimoni de Barcelona as cultural assets of local interest (BCIL) and cultural assets of national interest (BCIN).

The Montjuïc quarries provided the raw material for paving the streets and constructing buildings, but there are many other constructive elements that are part of the urban landscape: forged balconies, wooden doors and windows, cloakrooms, stained glass windows, shop signs, corbels, sgraffito and tapestries that allow us to follow the life, tastes, anecdotes and customs of the people of the neighbourhood.

The itinerary costs 4 euros per person. You can make your reservations through this link, by writing an email to reserveselbornccm@eicub.net, or by calling 93 256 68 50 Mondays to Fridays, from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.