Secrets of Barcelona and its surroundings
1001
fact about Barcelona
History. City. Architecture. Education. Culture. Legends. Sports. Money. Food.
1
CITY
The longest street in Spain is located in Barcelona. It's Gran Via de Les Corts Catalanes . It's 13 km long. The street begins at the border with the city of Hospitalet LLobregat and ends on the opposite side of the city near the town of San Adriá de Besós. There are 689 houses on the street.
2
STORY
Barcelona has its own "mausoleum." It is located in the Montjuïc Cemetery , in the Forsar Pedrera memorial area. Lluís Companys , the leader of the Catalan Republicans and president of Catalonia during the civil war (1936-1939), is buried here. He was executed by Franco's forces in 1940.
3
ARCHITECTURE
On the Passion Façade of the Sagrada Familia , you can find a carved stone figure of Antoni Gaudí . Naturally, the great architect didn't want his image to grace the church. But the man entrusted with the design of the Passion Façade, Josep Maria Subirachs , decided that Gaudí's sculpture absolutely had to be there. Subirachs's reasoning for this decision was simple: "Gaudí is the first person in the world to have written the Bible in stone."
4
EDUCATION
The University of Barcelona was founded in 1450 by King Alfonso the Magnanimous of Aragon. Today, this educational institution is ranked among the best in Spain by many rankings and is among the top 200 in the world for the quality of teaching and research (according to Times Higher Education). The university comprises 16 faculties , with over 63,000 students enrolled.
5
CITY
The tallest building in Barcelona, or rather two buildings, were built for the 1992 Olympic Games. Currently, they are the Hotel Arts and the Mapfre office building . They are 154 meters tall. But they will soon be surpassed by the Sagrada Familia , whose final height will be 172.5 meters . Currently (spring 2024), the tallest tower of the Sagrada Familia is the Tower of the Virgin Mary, standing at 138 meters.
6
CULTURE
Many scenes from Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006, directed by Tom Tykwer) were filmed in Barcelona . The film's opening shot ( the fish market where the main character is born) was shot in the Plaza del Mercè in the Gothic Quarter. To create the atmosphere of a medieval market , more than a ton of rotten fish and a ton of rotten meat were brought to the square.
7
CITY
Well-maintained beaches appeared in Barcelona only at the end of the 20th century . A beautiful promenade , sports facilities, children's slides, and a wide strip of white sand were built for the 1992 Olympic Games . Currently, there are nine beaches within the city limits, which alternate from north (Llevant Beach) to south (Sant Sebastià Beach).
8
LEGENDS
Thirteen geese live in the cloister of Barcelona Cathedral . This number reflects the age of Eulalia , a girl who lived in Barcelona at the beginning of the fourth century . She was 13 years old when the Romans tried to force her to renounce her Christian faith by inventing 13 tortures . Eulalia died and was later canonized and recognized as the city's foremost saint.
9
STORY
The very first synagogue in Europe is located in Barcelona at c. Marlet, 5. It was founded in the first century . Some of the foundation stones of the current building date back to the Roman period. The synagogue is currently run by an association of Reform Jews. Inside, you can see preserved religious objects and a Torah scroll .
10
LEGENDS
The flag of Catalonia —four red stripes on a yellow background—is said to have originated in the 9th century . The Frankish king, Charles the Bald , allied himself with the Count of Barcelona, Guifred the Hairy , to fight the Moorish invaders. During the final battle, Count Guifred was wounded and bleeding profusely. As a sign of gratitude, the Frankish king dipped four fingers in his ally's blood and drew four bloody stripes across his golden shield .
11
CULTURE
The book "Barcelona: A History of the City" is the most detailed popular science work on the history of Barcelona and Catalonia, covering the city's origins in the Roman era and its development to the present day. The book is over 700 pages long and has been translated into Russian. The author is American art historian, writer, and documentary film producer Robert Hughes .
12
SPORT
The football stadium where FC Barcelona plays its home matches is called Camp Nou and is located in the Les Corts district of the city. It has the highest rating ( 5 stars ) that FIFA can give to a stadium for hosting football matches. Camp Nou was built in 1957 and is still the largest stadium in Europe . It has a capacity of 99,354 spectators . The stadium is currently undergoing reconstruction .
13
MONEY
The most expensive real estate in Barcelona (and not just in Barcelona, but in all of Spain) is on Calle Bellesguard , located in the Sant Gervasi neighborhood. The price per square meter on this street is €8,808 . Therefore, a 100-meter apartment here costs around a million dollars. The former royal country residence, Bellesguard Castle , is also located on this street.
14
FOOD
Crema Catalana ( Catalan cream ) is a typical Barcelona dessert . It's similar to the French crème brûlée, but is made with milk instead of cream . The main ingredients are milk, egg, and sugar . Spices, cinnamon, vanilla, and zest are sometimes added. After cooking, the cold dish is sprinkled with sugar and set on fire. This creates a delicious , crispy crust .
15
CULTURE
Barcelona Zoo opened in 1892 on the site of the 1888 World Trade Fair. Today, the zoo is home to over 4,000 animals representing more than 400 species. More than 1,000,000 people visit the zoo each year. Its mascot, Snowball , remains the world's only albino white gorilla, who lived there from 1966 to 2003 .
16
ARCHITECTURE
Военная крепость на горе Монтжуик была построена в 1640-м году, когда, столкнувшись с опасностью морского нападения на город испанского флота Фелипе IV, муниципальное правительство Барселоны решило укрепить вершину Монжуика. Все жители города были мобилизованы на эту стройку и в итоге крепость соорудили за 30 дней. Сейчас в крепости находится музей.
17
STORY
Count Ramon Berenguer III of Barcelona ruled in the early 12th century . During his reign, the county quadrupled in size. However, the basis of his policy was not war, but kinship . First, he married the heiress of a neighboring county and united them. After his wife's death, the count married the heiress of another county and annexed another territory to his country.
18
CITY
Район Эшампле («расширение») появился в Барселоне во второй половине XIX века на том месте, где до 1859 года были загородные поля. План застройки района придумал архитектор Ильдефонс Серда. Он на чистом листе бумаги начертил ровные параллельные и перпендикулярные линии - улицы. Получились квадратные кварталы с длинной от угла до угла в 100-110 м.
19
CULTURE
Sardana is the name of a Catalan folk dance . Unlike in central and southern Spain, where flamenco is popular, in Catalonia the sardana is the dance of choice. People gather in a square, form a circle, hold hands, and perform graceful movements to the music. On weekends, in many squares of Barcelona, residents spontaneously break into sardana dances.
20
LEGENDS
In the El Born neighborhood, there's a street called Canvis Vells (Old Exchange Street) . This is where local money changers would sit, buying gold and exchanging currency for sailors arriving in town. Each money changer sat on a small bench , called a "bank" (la banca) in Spanish. Over time, these men became known as bankers , giving rise to the word "bank" in its modern sense.
21
CITY
Barcelona has ten urban districts , divided into 73 subdistricts. The largest district by area is Sants-Montjuïc (21.35 square kilometers), the smallest is Gràcia (4.19 square kilometers). The Eixample district has the largest population (262,485), while Les Corts has the smallest (82,588). The most expensive real estate is located in Les Corts and Sarrià-Sant Gervasi .
22
ARCHITECTURE
The highest point in Barcelona is Mount Tibidabo , 512 meters above sea level. At the summit stands the Church of the Sacred Heart. Construction began in 1902 by the architect Enric Sagnier and was completed in 1961 by his son, also an architect, José Maria Sagnier . Inside the church, there's an elevator that costs 5 euros to reach the upper level, and then a staircase leads to the feet of the statue of Jesus at the top of the church.
23
SPORT
Football Club Barcelona was founded on November 29, 1899, by a group of young Catalan and British footballers led by 22-year-old Swiss Joan Gamper . In 1928, the team became a founding member of the Spanish Football League and has played in the country's top division ever since. FC Barcelona is one of the symbols of Catalonia, hence its motto, "Més que un club" – "More than a club."
24
CULTURE
Ildefonso Falcones's novel "Cathedral by the Sea" tells the story of 14th-century Barcelona, the heyday of the Crown of Aragon. It tells the story of the creation of the Santa Maria del Mar church through the life of its protagonist, Arnau Estanyol. In 2018, an eight-part television series of the same name was produced based on the novel. "Cathedral by the Sea" has been translated into Russian.
25
STORY
The Plaza de Vila de Madrid contains Roman crypts from the 2nd and 3rd centuries. The Romans buried their dead not in a separate cemetery, but along the roads leading into the city, so that passersby could pay their respects to the deceased. Therefore, when these crypts were discovered in the 1950s, they decided to pave the road with modern bricks, representing the original route into the city.