Cultural tour of Barcelona.
When we talk about visiting cultural places in Barcelona, we have all heard of the famous National Art Museum of Catalonia, the Picasso museum or even the Museum of Contemporary Art, among others. All of them have a particular charm and are capable of captivating any art lover who wanders the streets of this wonderful city. Without wanting to overshadow the majesty of these usual museums when visiting Barcelona, the purpose of this post is to recommend a visit to other places of equal cultural interest, but which are less well known.
ARUS LIBRARY
Located on Paseo de San Juan, this beautiful library is a research center for social movements of the 19th and 20th centuries. It has more than 24,000 books, and its collection is expanding as donations and new acquisitions are collected. In addition to discovering and delving into the history and context of the aforementioned centuries, the library has the Sherlock Holmes collection by Joan Proubasta, considered the private collection dedicated to the figure of this famous most important detective in Spain and the 10 World’s greatest. This last event is only available during the days mentioned on the official website of the library.
VICENS HOUSE
Antoni Gaudí is mainly known for his works such as the very important Sagrada Familia or La Pedrera. What many do not know is that this building, called Casa Vicens, was the first important work carried out by this Catalan architect. It is located in the Gracia district, on Calle de las Carolinas. It is part of one of the existing modernist buildings in the city of Barcelona, hence its characteristic colorful and cheerful details, and visiting it is a great opportunity to get to know Gaudí in greater depth.
ROCAMORA HOUSE
This mansion, located in the Putxet neighborhood of Barcelona, was the property of a Catalan bourgeois named Manuel Rocamora. What is striking about this house is its Elizabethan style, neat and luxurious. Currently, most of the furniture and belongings of the owner are preserved and it is exposed to tourist visits. It has an attractive library and a delightful garden of considerable size. It is a good option to discover this style and the type of houses typical of the wealthy population of the city that could come to exist.
BARCELONA HISTORY MUSEUM
If you are interested in the beginnings of the city, back in the 1st century BC, you will be interested in visiting this history museum. It has numerous exhibitions, both permanent and temporary, to show visitors the historical heritage of the city. It has numerous offices scattered throughout Barcelona, where different monuments or historical heritage are shown that help explain the context of the city. An example of them is the Temple of Augustus, the Domus of Avinyó, the Via Sepulcral Romana, among others. It is the Roman period that stands out the most, but this important museum also features different historical eras.
CAN FRAMIS MUSEUM OF BARCELONA
Inaugurated in 2009, it is a project created to exhibit pieces of contemporary painting. It has approximately 300 works dating from the 1960s to the present. Most are by artists born or resident in Catalonia, so it’s a good opportunity to meet current Catalan talent. Previously it was a textile factory from the end of the 18th century located in the Poblenou neighbourhood, but over time it was renovated to give rise to this fantastic museum. Apart from the permanent exhibitions, they also have some temporary ones.
