It is separated from the Gothic Quarter by the Via Laietana and nowadays comprises two separate districts Sant Pere and Santa Maria del Mar. Both districts were joined together during the 14th century by the street of C. Montcada and became the center of the new city and where the finest private mansions were built which are still standing today.

We begin the walk at the Plaça del Angel and proceed to the Santa Maria district by C. Argenteria which still preserves its quaintness. At the end of the street, we come to the Plaça de Santa Maria; the monumental façade of the church is to the left and to the right, two groups of very picturesque houses with an interesting Gothic fountain. The 14th century Gothic Church of Santa Maria del Mar is a grand, perfectly proportioned architectural space with a soaring nave and two aisles some very fine stained-glass windows.

From the Passeig del Born, we take a left at the narrow C. Montcada which has numerous palaces. We find the 17th century Palau Dalmases with its simple façade which adapts the Catalonian Gothic lines to the Baroque forms, but its main feature are its richly carved columns, balustrade and fine arches. We also can see the Casa de la torre Trífora, a good example of the original features of 14th century façades. There are here a lot of places we can visit, we encounter the Palau dels Marquesos de Llió, a typical 14th century palace with a lovely open staircase leading from the courtyard to the 16th century Baroque door where the Museu Tèxtil I d'Indumentàre is located, the Palau Nadal wich houses the Museu Barbier-Müller of pre-Columbian Art and the Palau Aguilar, which houses the Museu Picasso (Picasso Museum), an exquisite 15th century mansion noted for its courtyard and the open staircase bordering the walls with richly carved windows.

The street of C. Montcada leads to the square of Marcús, where C. Carders branches off to the right where we find an interesting, old and noble mansion. The street ends at the Plaça de Sant Agustí el Vell, flanked on one side by late Gothic houses. From here take C. Basses de Sant Pere, one of the best examples of mid-19th century urban planning in Barcelona, to arrive at the Plaça Sant Pere, where is of the convent of Sant Pere de les Puelles which dates from the year 945. The only point of interest in the poorly restored façade of 1911 is the 15th century Gothic doorway, its interior was designed in the form of a Greek cross with barrel vaults around a 12th century dome and has some excellent Corinthian capitals from the 10th century.

From the Plaça de Sant Pere, we proceed on the street of C. Sant Pere Més Alt where we can see some interesting simple Baroque structures. At the corner of C. Amadeu Vives is the Palau de la Música Catalana, a modernist concert hall built in 1908 by Lluís Domènech i Montaner, declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. The interior is lavishly adorned with polychrome elements, rich floral themes and figures with mosaic bodies and busts in relief. The vestibule of the Palau boasts a magnificent mural by Massot.

Back to: Barcelona Itineraries