CHURCHES IN GIRONA

Girona was founded about  2.000 years ago by romans, during roman period the city was call Gerunda, it was not a very important city, we have not too much information about that moment but we know that Via Augusts lying across the city. During the middle ages Girona become important because the defensive marche of Charlesmagne, and the city became prosperous.

Panoramic view of Girona, from the medieval wall built by Pere el Cerimoniós in the XIV century

Main facade of the cathedral in barroc style

View of the apse of the cathedral, you can see the romanic belltower on the left hand side, the gothic catedral was built over the romanesque one, in the inside we get the biggest unique nave of the gothic period

Sant Feliu Church, inside the tomb of the Saint Patron of Girona, Sant Narcís

Sant Pere de Galligants, amazing church from the romanesque period, inside the Archaelogical Museum of Catalonia

AMPURIES: GREEK AND ROMAN COLONY

Ampuries ruins are a very ancient settlement by the Mediterranean, in the Costa Brava, next to l'Escala a lovely fisherman village  and very near of the Pyrenees, the Catalan natural border with France.

During the VI century B.C.  greek people arrived to Ampuries and founded a colony, Emporion. During the second Punic War, at the beginning of the III century B.C., the roman militars came into Spain by Emporio, and  and they started the romanization of the Iberian Peninsula. In the II century B.C. they founded Emporiae at the north side of the greek colony.

In 1908 the archaeological reseach was started until today, there are still 75% of the settlement pending of excavation, and Ampuries is part of the Archaelogical Museum of Catalonia.

View of the ruins of the greek colony by the mediterranean

The original Asclepius statue found in 1908

Impluviun of a roman house

Roman wall and gate

 

A phallus by the gate, symbol of prosperity and luck

THE CRYPT OF THE GÜELL COLONY

Antoni Gaudí designed an incredible church for the Güell Colony, the project of this church can be considered part of the creation process of the Sagrada Familia. The first funicular model was created for the development of this temple for the worker's settlement.
The church is unfinished, they began the building in 1899. In 1915 Mr. Güell's textil company began to lose money and the construction was abandoned when the crypt was completed.

General view of the church, the construction was stopped before finish the main floor

 

Window with  "trencadís", Gaudí's usual mosaic decoration

Stained glass windows, Gaudí was inspired by the bottom side of a pine cone

Please notice that the window is open at the bottom, creating a beautiful colorful cross in the middle

Column and roof of the church

Inside of the Crypt

THE GÜELL COLONY

La Colònia Güell is a textil industrial colony founded in 1890 by Eusebi Güell and developped by Antoni Gaudí and other modernist architects. 

During the Industrial Revolution there were a lot of industrial colonies all over Catalonia, the social conflicts in Barcelona, the control of the industrial owner over the workers and the production process were important reasons for the success of this way of industrialization.

Mr. Güell was a very educated and progressive person, he traveled all over the world, and he lived some years in England, he was in contact with the English industrial colonies. He relocated his textil factory from Barcelona center to Santa Coloma de Cervelló, by the suburs. He wanted to give the best conditions to his workers and  they get all the needs covered into the colony. The Güell Colony was quite privileged if we compare it with other industrial colonies around Catalonia.

 General view of the factory from the Crypt, the church of the colony

The teacher house, it is conected to the boy's school by a catenary arch

Terraced houses for the workers

 The theater and the "Ateneu" leisure areas for the workers by the Joan Güell Square

House of the administrator, he was the link between the neigbours and the insdustrial owner

Doctor's house, next to the administrator's house

CARRER AMPLE

El Carrer Ample es el primer carrer a la dreta que trobem pujant per la Rambla des del monument de Colom, va ser una de les vies principals en la Barcelona antiga, famíles importants i elegants van tenir palaus en aquest carrer, fins i tot es van arribar a disputar curses de cavalls seguint el seu traçat. 

Aproximadament a la meitat del carrer trobem la Plaça de la Mercé amb la basílica barroca de la segona patrona de la ciutat.

Carrer Ample, el més ample de Ciutat Vella, per això el seu nom, gairebé 8 metres d'amplada

Carrer Carbassa, ens mostra el típic entramat urbanístic de la Barcelona medieval

Vistes dels ponts sobre el carrer Carbassa amb l'estatua de la Verge de la Mercé al fons, estatua que corona la cúpula de la basílica

ANTONI TAPIES HAS PASSED AWAY

The great painter Antoni Tàpies died yesterday in Barcelona, he was one of my favourite artist, I dedicated two of my post in this blog to him and his Foundation, here you have the links:
Antoni Tàpies Foundation
The Montane Simo Publish House

Also a little of his genius:

 Inside Tàpies Foundation

Chair and Cloud on the top of the Montané Simó Publish House

The controversial sculpture of  a sock