History of Barcelona Private Family Tour

In the Plaça Nova, in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter, almost touching the wall of the former Roman city, seven giant letters contrast with their historic backdrop. They are part of the alphabet created by Joan Brossa to spell out the word Barcino, the principal name of the Colonia Iulia Augusta Faventia Paterna Barcino, which was the origin of present-day Barcelona. The letters, six of them made of bronze and one of aluminum, are bolted to the ground and make up a fun and original display, very much in keeping with this Barcelona-born artist's visual poems

The Casa de l'Ardiaca, the residence of the ecclesiastical hierarchy from the 12th century onwards, has undergone many alterations over the years, such as the ones carried out in the early 16th century which connected the building with the dean's residence. This was also the period when the porticoed central courtyard was built and the Renaissance-style decorations, which tie in with the flamboyant Gothic style of the original building, completed. A staircase leads to the upper terrace, a balcony in the purest Romeo and Juliet style.

The Catedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulàlia watches impassively the passing of time in a constantly moving and changing Barcelona. The Cathedral also reflects the different generations who have left their imprint and the blend of architectural styles in this predominantly Gothic building which needs to be viewed inside in order to fully understand its splendor. We will visit the cloister to know the 13 white geese!!

As you explore Barcelona's Gothic Quarter you'll come across one of the city's best-kept secrets in a building on Carrer Paradís. Inside a small medieval courtyard, the four columns from the Temple of Augustus have survived despite the passing of the centuries. They are more than 2,000 years old, like Barcelona itself.

The Conjunct Monumental de la Plaça del Rei in Barcelona is, arguably, the Gothic architectural ensemble which best exemplifies the city's medieval past. The royal palace, the Palau Reial Major, and its surrounding buildings enclose a harmonious and peaceful square which is still imbued with Barcelona's splendour during the Middle Ages

The Plaça Sant Jaume has been the city's political center almost since its inception. Today the Plaça Sant Jaume is an open space, a "lung" in the middle of the Gothic Quarter. The square is the site of the most important buildings in the lives of Barcelona and Catalonia: City Hall and the Palau de la Generalitat.

A Gothic basilica and the two picturesque squares that surround it form one of the most enchanting corners of the Gothic Quarter. The old cemeteries that surrounded the 14th-century church are now small squares where painters and artisans exhibit their works.

If you are looking for streets with this special charm in Barcelona, you can't miss carrer Petritxol, it is a pedestrian street known to be the street of chocolate in Barcelona and I will explain to you why. Carrer Petritxol is documented since 1340, and the name petrítxol comes from the word "pedrítxol" that refers to those stones that didn't allow the carriages to come inside a certain street. Petrítxol was the first pedestrian street in Barcelona city in 1959.

La Rambla is an endless box of surprises. A box that opens and allows us to glimpse jewels, including this allegory to Orientalism, the Casa Bruno Cuadros, which used to be an umbrella shop of Barcelona in its time. Its style, similar to modernisme with its use of color and the delicacy of its decorations, have made the Casa Bruno Cuadros a worthy addition to the photograph albums of many of Barcelona’s visitors.