A walk through Barcelona's Jewish quarter

On September 5, the Museu d'Història de Barcelona (MUHBA) El Call has scheduled a guided tour through the old Jewish quarter of the city, under the name Quan el Call era el call dels jueus. The Hebrew presence has been documented there as early as the 9th century, but it was probably there much earlier and could be related to the adoption of the Hebrew faith by some wealthy families.

The municipal authorities had no jurisdiction over the Call, as its members were considered "bossa or tresor del rei", and the communities or aljamas they formed depended directly on the monarch or the royal mayor. Therefore, their internal organisation was based on a type of self-government approved by royal privilege. However, from the 14th century onwards, ordinances that restricted their rights outside their strict sphere of residence began to be issued. By then, Barcelona was already home to a thousand Jews, many of whom had previously been expelled from France, which meant they had to build a new neighbourhood: the Call Menor.

At first, the two neighbourhoods were not connected, but the demolition of the Roman wall facilitated their communication by creating the streets of Banys Nous, Boqueria and Avinyó. The guided tour, starting in front of the MUHBA El Call in Manuel Ribé square and running through the streets of El Call, Sant Honorat, Sant Sever i Santa Eulàlia, Marlet, Sant Domènec, Sant Ramon and more, follows the urban, historical and cultural traces of its inhabitants.

The activity, in a reduced group and led in Catalan, costs 8,5 euros. If interested, book your ticket here.