Gothic Quarter

Stretching from La Rambla to Via Laietana and from the Mediterranean seafront to the Ronda de Sant Pere, the Gothic Quarter is the heart of Old Barcelona or Ciutat Vella in Catalan. It has a rich and storied history that dates back nearly 2,000 years.

The history of the Gothic Quarter begins with its Roman foundations. The Romans established the city of Barcino on the site of present-day Barcelona in the 1st century BC. You can still see remnants of the Roman walls and streets in the Gothic Quarter today. After the fall of the Romans, during the 5th – 8th centuries, Barcelona was ruled by the Visigoths and was known as Barcino. This period saw the decline of the city’s urban life. By the 8th century, the Moors briefly held Barcelona during their conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, but their rule ended by the 9th century.

It was during the 10th- 15th centuries, when the Gothic Quarter really expanded, including the construction of the Barcelona Cathedral, which remains one of the most iconic landmarks in the city, and in Spain. The area began to decline in the 18th century, with several buildings going into disrepair, but in the late 19th and early 20th century, several of the landmark buildings were restored, and the Quarter was completely transformed in time for the 1929 International Exhibition.

Some of the key sights in the Gothic Quarter today include the Barcelona Cathedral, Plaça del Rei (King’s Square), Plaça Reial (Royal Plaza) and Plaça de Sant Jaume, where City Hall and other government buildings are located.

Gothic Quarter

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